The answer to what started the California fire is, for the most part, human error and carelessness, exacerbated by neglect and poor stewardship. This is not to say that wildfires cannot be attributed to natural causes, such as a lightning strike. However, for the most part, recent wildfires in California have been caused by human activity and negligence of the utility companies.

Natural Causes

If what started the California fire had been due to natural causes, lightning would have been the culprit. This is not a frequent occurrence, but it has started a few of the big ones. Most recently, lightning was the cause of the 2012 Lassen County fire, which consumed well over 310,000 acres in California and Nevada.

Some ecologists believe that naturally occurring wildfires in national forests should be allowed to run their course, as overgrown forests have been identified as a factor in the type of widespread conflagrations that have been characterized by the recent Thomas and Mendocino Complex fires.

In California, recent weather conditions have set the stage for particularly formidable wildfire reasons, and are a major part of what started the California fire season. An interactive Guardian article explains that climate change has led to hotter and drier summers, which causes plant life to dry out, functioning as kindling for the fire.

California is particularly at risk for these factors — California is a total of 100 million acres, and a third of this is grassland and forest. Trees are particularly dangerous kindling for wildfires, and if burned, can pose serious danger to people and property. According to the Guardian, the only other state boasting more forest is Alaska.

California rainfall has decreased over the years, and the state is just now recovering from a six-year drought. Groundwater has disappeared due to use and dry conditions, further putting the state at risk.

Unfortunately, if climate change continues in the current trend, California will likely face even more deadly wildfire seasons. The state has been set up for future wildfires as many of California’s trees have already been lost to drought and migrating bark beetles that damage trees. Unfortunately, many of these dead trees have not been removed, putting them at risk of becoming kindling.

The population boom has also put the state at risk for increased wildfires — and more and more people are moving into what scientists call high-risk areas. Reportedly, human habitation itself can also pose a danger, because human-built structures not only pose a risk, they can burn for longer periods of time than plant life. This can then cause fires to spread more easily.

Human Causes

Wildfires can be caused by human carelessness, such as a discarded cigarette or a campfire that was not put out properly. One example of such carelessness was the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego County, caused by a lost deer hunter who lit two small signal fires.

More recently, a rancher’s ill-considered attempt at pest control resulted in the Mendocino Complex Fire after he drove a stake into the ground to plug a wasp’s nest. The resulting spark ignited the dry grass and attempts to smother it with a trampoline only exacerbated the fire.

Machinery or poorly-maintained electrical equipment can also cause wildfires. A spark from faulty hot tub wiring was what started the California fire in Lake County in 2015, which claimed 4 lives and 2,000 structures.

In rare cases, there is malicious intent. One example is the case of arsonist Raymond Lee Oyler, who deliberately started the 2006 Esperanza Fire west of Palm Springs. He was ultimately found guilty of the deliberate, premeditated murder of five firefighters who were killed in the blaze, and Oyler was sentenced to death.

Corporations Causing Damage

How did the California fire start in the Butte County disaster that has come to be known as the Camp Fire? The answer revealed by a subsequent investigation was poorly-maintained equipment belonging to Pacific Gas & Electric. It has not been the only time PG&E has been at fault; according to a piece in Slate.com, the massive, investor-owned utility has been responsible for nearly 81 percent of California’s wildfires in 2017.

According to investigations conducted by Cal Fire and reports from PG&E itself, a jumper cable owned by the company broke on a transmission tower at the same time and in the same area that the Kincade Fire of 2019 ignited. It is likely that this cable is what started the California fire. The company is also responsible for the ignition of the Camp Fire, which destroyed almost 19,000 structures and killed 85 people in 2018. At least 1,500 fires that burned between June 2014 and December 2017 have been linked to the company’s equipment.

Investigations into the company found that although PG&E had collected $224 million more than it was supposed to in oil and gas revenue between 2000 and 2010, the company had spent millions less on maintaining its network of transmission towers and power lines than it should have. In addition to cutting corners in ways such as inspecting towers from the ground or from the air rather than having a technician climb each tower, the company also failed to replace towers that were too old.

The lifespan of a transmission tower is estimated to be around 65 years, but the average age of PG&E’s towers was 68 in 2017. Additionally, some towers were as old as 108. Around 7,000 towers were unable to be dated, as there was no record of the date of construction. These old towers and power lines may be more prone to breaking or letting off sparks than towers that are newer or have been well maintained.

In addition to failing to maintain power lines, PG&E has reportedly neglected its responsibility to keep nearby vegetation trimmed back. Although in early 2019 the company set goals to clear trees and branches that could potentially come into contact with power lines, PG&E reported at the end of the year that only about a third of the work had been completed.

Who’s Affected?

Virtually everyone who lived, worked, or went to school in a community hurt or destroyed by a California wildfire has been affected. Now, these wildfire disasters are touching those who were nowhere near a wildfire, but may be at risk. Homeowners insurance rates have reportedly skyrocketed in the region, if homeowners are able to get insurance at all.

Recently, PG&E has taken to shutting down power to over one million customers for days on end during hot, windy conditions – not only inconveniencing homeowners, but putting lives at risk as electricity is cut from health care facilities and communication systems go down. The company is now trying to get out of bankruptcy after causing wildfires that killed dozens and caused billions in damage.

Individuals who have suffered property damage, injuries, or lost wages due to California wildfires caused by human error may be eligible to pursue compensation for these damages. To receive the compensation to which you are entitled, you may benefit from speaking to a qualified attorney.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.