Baron & Budd and Diab Chambers File Lawsuit on Behalf of Colusa County and Colusa County Resource Conservation District Against PG&E to Recover Sites Fire Damages

COLUSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the nationally recognized law firm of Baron & Budd P.C. alongside Diab Chambers LLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of Colusa County and the Colusa County Resource Conservation District against Pacific Gas & Electric Company and PG&E Corporation (“PG&E”) to recover public infrastructure and natural resource damages as a result of the June 17, 2024, Sites Fire. The Sites Fire burned more than 19,195 acres.

“The lawsuit seeks to recover critical infrastructure and natural resource damages caused by the Sites Fire,” said Torri Sherlin, a shareholder with Baron & Budd P.C., outside counsel for Colusa County and the Resource Conservation District. “The Colusa County RCD brings this action pursuant to its statutory authority to restore the natural resources damages as a result of the Sites Fire and to recover critical damages to provide technical assistance to affected landowners.”

The complaint alleges causes of action for Inverse Condemnation, Negligence, Nuisance, Trespass, Violation of Public Utilities Code Sec. 2106, Violation of California Health & Safety Code Sec. 13007, and Violation of Health and Safety Code Sec. 13009 et. seq.

The complaint references PG&E’s disclosure to the California Public Utilities Commission acknowledging that “[o]n June 17, 2024, at approximately 13:26, PG&E experienced a line to ground fault on [its] EPSS enabled Elk Creek 1101 distribution circuit near Stonyford in Colusa County, a Tier 2 High Fire Threat District. A fire (the Sites Fire) was observed in the area shortly after this time. A PG&E trouble shooter arrived at the outage location and observed a tree with a green canopy that broke approximately 10-12 feet above the ground and was lying on a de-energized line.”

“The lawsuits seek to hold PG&E responsible for the Sites Fire and are a critical step to facilitate community recovery,” said Carlie Bouslaugh, a partner with Diab Chambers LLP, who is also representing the public entities in this matter.

Colusa County and the Colusa County Resource Conservation District are represented by outside Counsel, Torri Sherlin, Jason Julius and Taylor O’Neal of Baron & Budd P.C. and Ed Diab, Rob Chambers, Kristen Barton, and Carlie Bouslaugh of Diab Chambers LLP, alongside Colusa County Counsel Richard Stout, who also serves as counsel to the Colusa Resource Conservation District.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

With more than 40 years of experience, Baron & Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the United States. As a law firm that takes pride in remaining at the forefront of litigation, Baron & Budd has spearheaded many significant cases for hundreds of public entities and tens of thousands of individuals. Since the firm was founded in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved substantial national acclaim for its work on cutting-edge litigation, trying cases to verdict and settling cases in areas of litigation as diverse and significant as dangerous and highly addictive pharmaceuticals, defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, wildfires, environmental contamination, fraudulent banking practices, e-cigarettes, motor vehicles, federal whistleblower cases, and other consumer fraud issues.