The cause of the house fire in Fairfax County, VA was an electrical event involving extension cords and a power strip inside the garage, causing $150K in damages

On Wednesday, May 30, at 10:55 a.m., units from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue and Loudoun County Fire and Rescue were dispatched for a house fire in the 900 block of Holly Blossom Court in the Great Falls area of Fairfax County. 

Units arrived on the scene of a two-story, single family home with significant fire in an attached garage. The fire extended into the main house. Crews quickly used fire hose to extinguish the garage fire. Additional fire hose was advanced into the house to stop the fire from spreading further. A second alarm was requested to bring additional resources to the scene. One occupant was evaluated for a minor injury and declined transportation to a hospital. Three firefighters sustained minor injuries. One was treated on scene and two were transported and released from the hospital. 

One occupant was home at the time of the fire. The occupant saw smoke coming from the rear garage door. Upon investigation, a fire was discovered in the garage. Simultaneously, a neighbor saw fire coming from the garage and called 9-1-1. Smoke alarms sounded after the fire was discovered. 

Fire Investigators determined that the fire was accidental in nature and started in the garage. The cause of the fire was an electrical event involving extension cords and a power strip, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department news release. 

A total of two adults have been displaced as a result of the fire. Red Cross assistance was offered and declined. Damages as a result of the fire are estimated to be $149,500.

Power lines owned by San Francisco-based Pacific Gas & Electric Co. are to blame for a dozen of deadly wildfires in Northern California's wine country last fall, where 15 people died

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- 

Power lines owned by San Francisco-based Pacific Gas & Electric Co. are to blame for a dozen wildfires in Northern California's wine country last fall, the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Friday. Two of the 12 fires killed 15 people.

Investigators determined the fires - part of a series that were the deadliest in California history - were caused by PG&E-owned equipment.

All of the blazes that raged through California last October killed 44 people, destroyed 8,800 structures and forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate. About 11,000 firefighters from 17 states and Australia helped battle the blazes.

In eight of the 12 fires included in Friday's report, Cal Fire said there was evidence of violations of state law and that its findings have been forwarded to county prosecutors.
  

The investigation into the cause of the Tubbs Fire, in which 22 people were killed in Napa and Sonoma counties, has not yet been completed, Cal Fire Deputy Chief Scott A. McLean said, CBS San Francisco reports.

Hundreds of homeowners and relatives of those killed have sued PG&E.

"PG&E has been trying to duck responsibility for the fires, blaming everything from climate change to local fire departments and the state's liability laws," Patrick McCallum, co-chair of a coalition of people affected by the wildfires, said in a statement.

He said Cal Fire's report "puts the blame where it belongs - squarely on PG&E, confirming it was responsible for many of the fires that devastated so many lives."

"As victims, we see the report as an important step toward rebuilding and recovery," McCallum said.

PG&E said in a statement that the company believes its "overall programs met our state's high standards" for maintaining electrical equipment and pruning about 1.4 million trees a year.

But because of California's much longer wildfire season and extreme weather, PG&E said it has made changes including creating a wildfire operations center to monitor extreme weather and fire threats in real time, putting in place a network of weather stations throughout high-risk fire areas and boosting vegetation management.

In March, the company announced it would start switching off power to minimize sparks in vulnerable areas during times of extreme fire danger. PG&E and some other state utilities previously have resisted such a measure, arguing that cutting off power carries its own risks, including to patients dependent on electrical equipment.

In one fire in Mendocino County last fall, investigators said Potter Valley experienced wind speeds up to 67 mph, causing many tree branches to fall, triggering numerous 911 calls reporting fires, according to Cal Fire's report.

"An arc from a conductor was witnessed along with the start of a vegetation fire," the report said. A second fire also was "from an overhead conductor." The two sparked a third, merged, and burned 10 miles (16 kilometers), the report said.

A responding firefighter said the smoke was blowing sideways and he had to veer around numerous tree branches in the road to get to the fire area.

One homeowner told the firefighter "he saw a tree illuminate when the conductors arced."

Another property owner told Fire Captain Specialist Eric Bettger that "he saw a flash to the east and saw the conductors come down.

"He said the fire crossed the road within seconds," Bettger said.

CalFire did not post details of its investigation into Napa County fire.

Sen. Bill Dodd, a Democrat who represents the Napa area, called the report's findings "disappointing and deeply concerning."

"I'm calling on PG&E, utilities across the state and the Public Utilities Commission to step up and ensure they are meeting their legal obligations to maintain power lines in a safe manner," Dodd said in a statement. "It's inexcusable and it can't be allowed to happen again."

Dodd has introduced legislation that would require electric utilities to update wildfire plans to determine when they need to cut power to lines during harsh weather and boost infrastructure.

Nearly $1.5 billion was spent fighting fires and on recovery north of San Francisco in October, including debris removal and infrastructure repair and the destruction prompted $10 billion in insurance claims.

CalFire investigators are still probing other fires in October and December, including the deadliest blaze in Napa and Sonoma Counties, which PG&E has argued was started by wires belonging to a private homeowner.

Drunk garbage truck driver, 40-year-old Anthony Castaldo working for Viking Sanitation, is accused of severely damaging several cars and a front porch and knocking down trees

Drunk garbage truck driver, 40-year-old Anthony Castaldo working for Viking Sanitation, is accused of severely damaging several cars and a front porch and knocking down trees.  Another Italian low lifer.  Brooklyn and New Jersey are full of them.

Garbage truck driver charged with drunk driving after plowing into 9 cars in Brooklyn

BOROUGH PARK, Brooklyn (WABC) -- 

A garbage truck driver has been charged with driving while impaired after plowing into nine vehicles in Brooklyn Saturday, causing one vehicle to stack on top of another.

The driver, 40-year-old Anthony Castaldo of Brooklyn, is accused of severely damaging several cars and a front porch and knocking down trees while driving near 60th Street and 19th Avenue in Borough Park.

Witnesses said the driver looked disoriented and tried to run, but police were right behind him.

"I come out just to see where he is," said one witness. "I said what did you do here, how did you lose control of your car, or truck. He didn't answer me. He jumped out, ran there, went all the way around on 19th Avenue to 59th Street and that's where he ran into a chain-link fence, and that's where they subdued him."

No injuries were reported.

Castaldo is also charged with reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and refusing to take a breathalyzer test.

A spokesperson for Viking Sanitation released a statement Saturday saying,

"Our company has a long track record of safety and we hold ourselves to high standards, including random drug testing for drivers. It appears that this driver failed to adhere to our standards and he was immediately suspended as part of the ongoing investigation of this serious incident."