The Latest: Utility says blame for 2015 wildfire is unclear

SAN FRANCISCO – The Latest on the cause of a deadly 2015 wildfire (all times local):

8:30 p.m.

Pacific Gas & Electric says it accepts the state’s finding that a deadly 2015 wildfire was sparked by a tree that came into contact with a power line. But the utility says it’s not clear what caused the tree to fail or that its management of vegetation failed.

The written response from PG&E on Thursday night came after the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said it would seek more than $90 million in firefighting costs from the utility.

A state report says PG&E or its contractors had removed two grey pine trees from a stand in January 2015, exposing a weaker interior tree that failed and hit the power line.

The blaze started Sept. 9 and burned for three weeks in Calaveras and Amador counties. It killed two people and destroyed more than 900 structures, including about 550 homes.

PG&E’s statement says that it first and foremost offers condolences to families who lost loved ones, and it is working hard to resolve their claims.

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11:10 a.m.

California officials say they will seek more than $90 million in firefighting costs from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. after finding that a deadly 2015 fire was sparked by a tree that came into contact with a power line.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection released a report Thursday detailing the cause of the fire in Calaveras and Amador counties.

Cal Fire said the state’s largest utility or its contractors had removed two grey pine trees from a stand in January 2015, exposing a weaker interior tree that failed and hit the power line.

The blaze started Sept. 9 and burned for three weeks. It killed two people and destroyed more than 900 structures, including some 550 homes.

The fire caused an estimated $300 million in insured losses and is the seventh-most destructive wildfire in state history.