Wildfire Experience
Recovered for Wildfire Victims
THE 2017 NORTH BAY FIRES
The 2017 North Bay Fires erupted on October 8, 2017, during extreme wind conditions that fueled a series of fast-moving fires across Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino counties. The disaster destroyed thousands of structures, displaced entire communities, and resulted in significant loss of life. State investigations later determined that several of the fires were caused by PG&E’s electrical equipment and failures in vegetation and infrastructure maintenance.
Moon Law joined with other plaintiffs’ firms in pursuing claims against PG&E for its role in causing the North Bay Fires, contributing to the broader effort to hold the utility accountable for its safety lapses. Those claims, along with similar wildfire cases, were ultimately consolidated in the PG&E bankruptcy proceedings after PG&E filed for Chapter 11 protection in early 2019 due to its mounting wildfire liabilities. The litigation resulted in a landmark $13.5 billion settlement with PG&E and the creation of the Fire Victim Trust to compensate individuals and businesses for losses including property damage, wrongful death, emotional distress, and economic harm.
This settlement provided a pathway for survivors of the North Bay Fires—and other PG&E-caused wildfires—to pursue financial recovery.
THE 2018 CAMP FIRE
The Camp Fire, which began on November 8, 2018, in Butte County, became the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. The fire ignited when a faulty PG&E transmission line failed near the community of Pulga, sparking a blaze that spread rapidly due to high winds and exceptionally dry conditions. Ultimately, the Camp Fire burned more than 150,000 acres, destroyed nearly 19,000 structures—most of them homes—and devastated the town of Paradise and surrounding communities. Tragically, the wildfire claimed 85 lives and displaced tens of thousands of residents.
Following the Camp Fire, Moon Law was retained by homeowners, business owners, and the families of individuals killed in the wildfire to pursue lawsuits against PG&E for negligence and failing to safely maintain its electrical infrastructure. Moon Law’s lawsuit and other similar lawsuits were consolidated in the PG&E bankruptcy proceedings after the utility filed for Chapter 11 protection in early 2019 due to its wildfire liabilities. Ultimately, we reached a landmark $13.5 billion settlement with PG&E, creating the Fire Victim Trust to compensate individuals and businesses for losses including property damage, wrongful death, emotional distress, and economic harm. The settlement established formal recognition of PG&E’s responsibility for the Camp Fire and provided a pathway for survivors to pursue financial recovery.
In addition to civil lawsuits, PG&E faced criminal prosecution for its role in causing the Camp Fire. In 2020, the Butte County District Attorney charged the utility with 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter—one for each identified victim—and one felony count of unlawfully causing a fire. PG&E entered guilty pleas to all charges, marking the first time a major utility in the United States was convicted of homicide for its infrastructure failures. As part of the outcome, the court imposed the maximum fines allowed under California law and required PG&E to publicly admit its wrongdoing.
THE 2021 DIXIE FIRE
The 2021 Dixie Fire was one of the most devastating wildfires in California’s history, igniting on July 13, 2021, in Butte County and ultimately burning across five counties—Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Shasta, and Tehama. Fueled by drought-stricken vegetation and severe weather conditions, the fire scorched approximately 963,309 acres, destroyed more than 1,300 structures, and forced thousands of residents to evacuate. The historic town of Greenville was largely destroyed, and entire communities were displaced for weeks as the fire grew to become the second-largest wildfire ever recorded in the state. Investigators concluded that the fire began when a tree contacted a PG&E-owned distribution line, and that the utility failed to adequately maintain vegetation and equipment in the area—conditions that directly contributed to the ignition and spread of the blaze. This placed the Dixie Fire among a series of catastrophic, utility-related wildfires that have deeply impacted California communities.
In the wake of the Dixie Fire, Moon Law filed lawsuits against PG&E, alleging that the company’s failure to properly maintain its equipment and surrounding vegetation caused the blaze. In those lawsuits, Moon Law represented homeowners and business owners, including hotels, motels, and lodges, farmers, as well as numerous commercial timber companies, which lost thousands of acres of timberland. In addition, Moon Law was appointed to the Steering Committee to help direct the litigation against PG&E. Ultimately, Moon Law obtained valuable settlements for its clients.
THE 2022 MOSQUITO FIRE
The Mosquito Fire, which ignited on September 6, 2022 near Mosquito Road and Oxbow Reservoir in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Placer and El Dorado counties, became California’s largest wildfire of the year. Investigations by the United States Forest Service and others have indicated that the ignition point was located in the area of a transmission line owned by PG&E. The fire ultimately burned 76,788 acres and destroyed dozens of structures, prompted the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents, and significantly impacted regional air quality from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe.
The Mosquito Fire prompted multiple lawsuits against PG&E, including by Moon Law, with residents, public agencies, and water districts alleging that the wildfire was ignited by PG&E’s electrical equipment and that PG&E failed to properly maintain its power lines and vegetation in extreme fire-weather conditions. Moon Law’s lawsuit seeks compensation for a variety of damages caused by the wildfire.
THE 2023 MAUI WILDFIRES
In August 2023, a devastating wildfire tore through the historic town of Lahaina on Maui, destroying thousands of structures and resulting in one of the deadliest wildfires in modern U.S. history. The litigation that followed identified multiple defendants alleged to have contributed to the catastrophe. Hawaiian Electric Company was accused of failing to de-energize power lines despite high-wind warnings, allowing downed lines to ignite surrounding vegetation. Additional defendants included the County of Maui for deficiencies in emergency alerts and vegetation management; Kamehameha Schools and West Maui Land Co. for land-use practices and fuel-load conditions; and telecommunications companies such as Charter Communications and Hawaiian Telcom, alleged to have overloaded utility poles and contributed to their structural failure. These entities ultimately agreed to a multibillion-dollar resolution—known as the Maui Individual Settlement Fund—to address the claims arising from the disaster.
Moon Law was appointed to the Steering Committee overseeing the litigation, and we represent a broad range of homeowners and businesses, including apartment complexes, commercial retailers, fishing charters, a world-renowned art gallery, and numerous other businesses.