Kincade Fire Caused By PG&E Equipment, Cal Fire Says

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — The cause of the Kincade Fire of 2019 in Sonoma County was equipment owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said their "meticulous and thorough investigation" revealed.

The Kincade Fire broke out Oct. 23, 2019, and burned 77,758 acres, destroyed 374 structures and caused four non-life threatening injuries.

"CAL FIRE investigators were immediately dispatched to the Kincade Fire and began working to determine the origin and cause of the fire," Cal Fire said in a news release. "After a very meticulous and thorough investigation, CAL FIRE has determined that the Kincade Fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electricity (PG&E) located northeast of Geyserville."

Tinder, dry vegetation and strong winds combined with low humidity and warm temperatures contributed to extreme rates of fire spread, Cal Fire said.

"The Kincade Fire investigative report has been forwarded to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office," Cal Fire said in the release.

Kincade Fire Erupts; The Morning After, PG&E Files Report With CPUC About Broken Equipment At Site Of Blaze

Cal Fire's investigative report on the fire was not sent as part of the agency's news release Thursday about its findings.

The Kincade Fire was first reported at 9:27 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, at John Kincade Road and Burned Mountain Road in an area northeast of Geyserville near The Geysers Geothermal Complex in northern Sonoma County, Cal Fire said at the time.

At 11:30 am. the following day — Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019 — PG&E filed a report with the California Public Utilities Commission. PG&E states that at 9:20 p.m. the night before, broken PG&E equipment was found on a transmission tower near Kincade Road and Burned Mountain Road.

According to PG&E's report to the CPUC, a PG&E troubleman was patrolling the line at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, when he discovered Cal Fire had taped off the base of the transmission tower. Cal Fire personnel showed the troubleman what appeared to be a broken jumper on the tower, PG&E told the CPUC.

PG&E officials said they did not de-energize the transmission lines in that area but did de-energize distribution lines, which are the smaller lines that connect to homes and businesses, according to the CPUC report.

The Kincade Fire ultimately scorched 77,758 acres, threatening several thousand homes and prompting evacuations for approximately 185,000 residents within the fire's perimeter in Sonoma County and into parts of neighboring Lake and Napa counties.

Residents of Healdsburg, Windsor, Geyserville and the Alexander Valley were among thousands of Sonoma County evacuees.

By the time it was fully contained on Nov. 6, 2019, the Kincade Fire destroyed 374 structures, including 174 homes. Sixty other structures were damaged, 35 of them residential.

The wildfire cost Sonoma County an estimated $725 million in economic losses, according to county officials.

PG&E Responds To Cal Fire's Finding On 2019 Kincade Fire In Sonoma County

Here is the statement released by PG&E Thursday afternoon in response to the release of information by Cal Fire.

"We appreciate all the heroic efforts of the first responders who fought the 2019 Kincade Fire, helped local citizens evacuate and made sure no one perished in the fire.

"We are aware of CAL FIRE’s news release stating that PG&E facilities caused the fire. At this time, we do not have access to CAL FIRE’s investigative report or the evidence it has collected. We look forward to reviewing both at the appropriate time.

"We want our customers and communities to know that safety is our most important responsibility and that we are working hard every day to reduce wildfire risk throughout our service area.

"The Kincade Fire began on October 23, 2019, northeast of Geyserville in Sonoma County, Calif. On October 24, 2019, PG&E filed an Electric Incident Report with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) related to the Kincade Fire."

Ongoing Work to Reduce Wildfire Risk

"The wildfire safety actions and programs described in PG&E’s 2020 Wildfire Mitigation Plan detail the company’s comprehensive Community Wildfire Safety Program designed to address the growing threat of extreme weather and wildfires across PG&E’s service area. Ongoing and expanded efforts include new grid technology, hardening of the electric system, enhanced vegetation management, and real-time monitoring and situational awareness tools such as high-definition cameras and hundreds of weather stations to better understand how severe weather can impact the system. Key wildfire safety improvements PG&E has made in recent years are detailed here."

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.