Articles by David R. Baker and Romy Varghese

Bill to Give PG&E Relief from California Wildfire Burden Nears, But Long-Term Fix Elusive

PG&E Corp., suspected of starting California’s deadliest wildfire, may soon get help from state lawmakers – just not the help it most wants. An assemblyman plans to introduce a bill in January that would give the state’s largest utility owner …

Wildfire Relief for PG&E in California May Not Include Fix Utility Wants

PG&E Corp., suspected of starting California’s deadliest wildfire, may soon get help from state lawmakers – just not the help it most wants. As early as Dec. 3, a lawmaker plans to introduce a bill that would give the state’s …

Lawmaker in California Working on Fire Relief Legislation for PG&E

A bill that would help PG&E Corp. absorb liabilities from this year’s fatal wildfires in California is being drafted at the request of a state assemblyman who helped shepherd earlier legislation on the issue. Kellie Smith, an adviser to assemblyman …

California Utilities Face Potential of Billion Dollar Wildfires Year After Year

California utilities are facing the very real possibility that billion-dollar blazes could become an annual occurrence, and they don’t know how to pay for them. Shares of the state’s two largest utilities plummeted Monday after both PG&E Corp. and Edison …

California Wildfire Update: Thousands Flee, More Than 50K Without Power

Fanned by hot, dry winds, wildfires north of San Francisco and near Los Angeles have forced the evacuation of more than 150,000 people in the state, including Malibu, the coastal enclave of the rich and famous. The fires cover about …

California Wildfire Grows to More than 20K Acres, More Blazes Erupt

A wildfire raging in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada foothills quadrupled in size late Thursday and another day of dry winds threatens to make it spread even farther, faster. The blaze near the community of Chico has left more than 23,000 …