(CNN)Criminal charges have been filed against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company over the 2019 Kincade Fire in California.
The massive fire, which burned through more than 77,000 acres of vegetation in Sonoma County, was ignited by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by PG&E in northeast Geyserville, a Cal Fire investigation found. The fire destroyed 374 structures, damaged another 60 and caused injuries.
Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch charged PG&E with five felonies and 28 misdemeanors Tuesday. The charges include unlawfully starting a fire which caused bodily injury, unlawfully burning inhabited structures, unlawfully causing a fire which burned forests, and various air pollution crimes, the District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
The utility has faced scrutiny in recent years over its equipment's role in a spate of deadly and destructive California fires. Last summer, PG&E pleaded guilty to 85 counts, including involuntary manslaughter and unlawfully starting the Camp Fire, the deadliest blaze in the state's history.
Photos: Wildfires scorch California
Photos: Wildfires scorch California
Firefighters spray water on a backfire while battling the spread of the Maria Fire on Friday, November 1. It is just one of the numerous wildfires in California right now.
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A firefighter works at containing the Maria Fire in the hills near Ventura, California, on November 1.
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Firefighters spray water onto a tree while fighting the Maria Fire in Ventura County, California, on November 1.
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A long-exposure photo shows the Maria Fire as it races across a hillside in Santa Paula, California, on November 1.
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Firefighters watch the progress of a backfire near Somis.
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The remains of the Louis Robidoux Nature Center keep smoldering after the structure was destroyed by a wildfire in Riverside, California.
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A firefighter sprays down the smoldering remains of a burning home in San Bernardino, California, on Thursday, October 31. It was affected by the Hillside Fire.
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Marco Alcaraz uses a garden hose to try to slow down the advance of the Easy Fire in Simi Valley.
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Firefighters work to prevent a blaze from spreading to other homes in San Bernardino.
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An Air Force One from Ronald Reagan's presidency sits on display as the Easy Fire burns near Reagan's presidential library on October 30.
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Firefighters brace themselves for incoming fire retardant as they battle the Easy Fire in Simi Valley.
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Fabio Losurdo comforts his horse, Smarty, at a ranch in Simi Valley on October 30.
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Flames approach the backyards of mobile homes in Jurupa Valley, California, on October 30.
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Laura Horvitz, right, and Robyn Phipps help rescue goats from a ranch near the Reagan Presidential Library.
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Health care workers evacuate the Riverside Heights Healthcare Center on October 30.
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Inmate firefighters battle the Kincade Fire near Healdsburg, California, on Tuesday, October 29.
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A home between Healdsburg and Windsor is surrounded by charred ground on October 29.
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From left, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tour a burned home in Brentwood, California, on October 29.
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Firefighters work near the Getty Center in Los Angeles on Monday, October 28.
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Thousands of Los Angeles residents were forced to evacuate their homes because of the Getty Fire.
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Los Angeles County firefighter Collin Bashara rests near his truck on October 28.
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Smoke from the Kincade Fire hangs over Healdsburg as farm animals graze in a pasture on October 28.
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A man walks past a burning home in Los Angeles on October 28.
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Fire crews walk along a blackened ridge as they battle the Getty Fire in Los Angeles.
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Firefighters battling the Kincade Fire spray water at a home in Windsor on Sunday, October 27.
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Firefighters burn fuel around a home in Windsor in an effort to save it from the Kincade Fire.
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Dr. Emily Putt, a veterinarian who helps rescue horses from fire zones, comforts a horse as the Kincade Fire burns in Healdsburg on October 27.
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A firefighter passes a burning home as the Kincade Fire rages in Healdsburg on October 27.
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Vines smolder in a cloud of smoke in Healdsburg.
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Flames from the Kincade Fire consume a home in Healdsburg.
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A team of firefighters put out a smoldering vine in Healdsburg.
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The Soda Rock Winery burns in the Kincade Fire.
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Firefighters from the Dry Creek Rancheria remove an American flag in Healdsburg.
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A firefighter watches over a structure as the Kincade Fire threatens Chalk Hill Road in Healdsburg.
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A firefighter sets a backfire along a hillside in Healdsburg on Saturday, October 26.
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A line of fire snakes along a hillside as firefighters light backfires to slow the spread of the Kincade Fire near Geyserville, California, on October 26.
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Sodhi Singh closes up his Chevron station shortly after losing power in Healdsburg on October 26. In an attempt to avoid any more catastrophic wildfires, Pacific Gas & Electric began shutting down the power to about 940,000 customers, citing a historic wind event in northern and central parts of the state.
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A backfire set by firefighters burns along a hillside in Healdsburg.
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Sandy Beddow evacuates Healdsburg with her dog.
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Firefighters set a backfire along a hillside in Healdsburg.
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Firefighters hose down a burning house in Agua Dulce, California, on Friday, October 25. It was affected by the Tick Fire, which broke out near Santa Clarita.
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Orange County firefighters put out remaining hot spots from a brush fire in San Clemente, California, on October 25.
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A firefighting aircraft intervenes over Sonoma County, California, where the Kincade Fire was burning on October 25.
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A firefighter sprays water on a burning home in Sonoma County on Thursday, October 24.
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A Los Angeles County firefighter monitors the area as the Tick Fire burns near homes in Canyon Country on October 24.
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The Kincade Fire burns in the Jimtown community of Sonoma County on October 24.
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A firefighter works the scene of a burned-out home in Santa Clarita on October 24.
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Brandon Mani covers his face from the smoke as he walks along Highway 14 in Santa Clarita.
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A helicopter passes a smoke plume on October 24.
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A structure continues to burn after the Kincade Fire moved through Geyserville on October 24.
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Geyserville, about 80 miles north of San Francisco, is among the communities under mandatory evacuation order.
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Two firefighters discuss a plan while battling the wildfire in Geyserville.
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The sun rises above a smoke-filled valley in Geyserville on October 24.
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A fire whirl whips across dry brush as the Kincade Fire spreads through Sonoma County on October 24.
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Trees burn as the fire engulfs a hillside in Geyserville.
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Embers fly across a roadway in Jimtown on October 24.
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The Kincade Fire resulted in the largest evacuation in Sonoma County history, which included the towns of Healdsburg, Windsor and Geyserville. It torched more than 5,000 acres within the first three hours.
A hearing in the latest case is scheduled for April 20 in Sonoma County.
Tuesday's filing comes after interviews with dozens of witnesses, the issuing of search warrants, a review of hundreds of thousands of pages of documents and consultation with law enforcement and regulatory agencies, as well as independent experts, the District Attorney's Office said.
"I went with others from my team, along with CalFire, to the location in the Geysers where we believe the fire began as soon as it was safe to do so," Ravitch said in a statement. "Since that time, we have been working with CalFire and independent experts to determine the cause of and responsibility for the Kincade fire. I believe this criminal complaint reflects our findings."
"In the spirit of working to do what's right for the victims, we will accept CAL FIRE's finding that a PG&E transmission line caused the fire, even though we have not had access to the agency's report or the evidence it gathered," a PG&E spokesperson told CNN in an email. However, the utility does not believe it committed any crimes.
"We remain committed to making it right for all those impacted and working to further reduce wildfire risk on our system," PG&E said. PG&E will "work around the clock until that is true for all people we are privileged to serve," CEO Patti Poppe said in a statement disputing the criminal charges.
The Kincade Fire started on October 23, 2019, and was active for just over two weeks, according to the Cal Fire incident report. Tinder, dry vegetation and strong winds, as well as lo w humidity and warm temperatures, helped contribute to rapid fire spread, according to the Cal Fire investigation.
Fourteen fires burned across the state that fall, leaving firefighters to battle blazes nonstop as millions of people and homes were threatened. The Kincade Fire was the biggest among them, incinerating parts of the wine country in Sonoma County.
