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Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Officials: Camp Fire, deadliest in California history, was caused by PG&E electrical transmission lines

Burned cars and downed power lines are seen along Pearson Road in Paradise, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. The Camp Fire is so far the most destructive wildfire in California history. 

DJane Tyska | The Mercury News | Digital First Media | Getty Images

CalFire said Tuesday the catastrophic Camp Fire in November 2018 was caused by electrical transmission lines owned by Pacific Gas & Electric.

In a statement, the state agency said it conducted "a very meticulous and thorough investigation" of the Camp Fire, the deadliest and and most destructive fire in California history. The Camp Fire destroyed most of the town of Paradise, California, and resulted in 85 civilian fatalities and the destruction of more than 18,800 structures.

In February, PG&E said in a regulatory filing that it believed it's "probable" that the company's equipment will be found to be the source of the Camp Fire.

CNBC reached out to PG&E for comment.

PG&E, the state's largest electric utility, filed for bankruptcy protection in late January after getting hit with a flood of lawsuits from devastating wildfires in Northern California in 2017 and 2018, including the Camp Fire in Butte County.

Cal Fire previously found PG&E at fault for 17 wine country fires in 2017, including the Redwood Fire, which resulted in nine fatalities. The state agency also found PG&E responsible for the Cascade Fire that killed four in Yuba County in October 2017.

Shares of PG&E fell 1.6% in trading on Tuesday. The stock was down fractionally in after hours trading.

This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

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