Compassionate Advocates For Victims of the Dixie Fire

Summary of Dixie Fire

0
Acres Burned
0
nd
Largest Wildfire In California History
0
Structures Destroyed

On July 18, 2021, PG&E filed an Electrical Incident Report with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as follows:

 

“On July 13, 2021 at approximately 0700 hours, PG&E’s outage system indicated that Cresta Dam off Highway 70 in the Feather River Canyon lost power. The responding PG&E troubleman observed from a distance what he thought was a blown fuse on the PG&E Bucks Creek 1101 12kV Overhead Distribution Circuit uphill from his location. Due to the challenging terrain and road work resulting in a bridge closure, he was not able to reach the pole with the fuse until approximately 1640 hours. There he observed two of the three fuses blown and what appeared to him to be a healthy green tree leaning into the Bucks Creek 1101 12kV conductor, which was still intact and suspended on the poles. He also observed a fire on the ground near the base of the tree. The troubleman manually removed the third fuse and reported the fire, his supervisor called 9-1-1 and the 9-1-1 operator replied they were aware of the fire and responding. CAL FIRE air support arrived on scene by approximately 1730 hours and began dropping fire retardant and water…In a 2045 hours status report, the CAL FIRE website stated the fire was approximately 1-2 acres; later that evening CAL FIRE reported the fire had grown to 10-15 acres and ground resources had problems accessing the area. According to the CAL FIRE website as of July 18, 2021 at 2007 hours, the Dixie Fire ahs burned approximately 19,000 acres and dis 15 percent contained…On July 18, 2021, CAL FIRE investigators collected the following PG&E equipment: portions of the Bucks Creek 1101 12kV line, including conductor, jumpers, insulators, and fuse cutouts, as well as portions of the tree.”

On August 2, 2021, PG&E filed another Electrical Incident Report with the CPUC concerning the Fly Fire as follows:

“On July 22, 2021, a wildfire began in the area of Butterfly Valley Twain Road and Highway 70 in Plumas County, California (the Fly Fire). At approximately 1701 hours on July 22, 2021, wildfire cameras first showed smoke in the general direction of Butterfly Valley Twain Road and Highway 70. According to PG&E’s records, SmartMeters and a line recloser on the portion of the PG&E distribution line serving the area, the Gansner 1101 circuit, reported alarms and other activity between approximately 1650 and 1810 hours, when that portion of the line was deenergized. On August 2, 2021, PG&E assisted the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) with moving and examining a tree that was resting on conductor on the Gasner 1101 circuit.”

On July 21, 2021, the Hon. William Alsup, United States District Court, issued an order directing PG&E to file a statement under oath setting forth the full extend to which its equipment had any role in the start of the Dixie and Bader Fires.

On July 28, 2021, PG&E filed its response, which included the photo below of the pine tree which fell on its energized conductor at the origin of the Dixie Fire:

Why Robertson & Associates

Alex “Trey” Robertson, IV has been distinguished as a Southern California Super Lawyer every year since 2011, an honor conferred on less than 5% of the total lawyers in the state. Additionally, Alex holds the prestigious AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest peer rating given to attorneys who are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards by their peers.

Walk The Talk

In addition to being a wildfire attorney, Trey also volunteers for a large fire department in Southern California as a fire photographer providing the Public Information Officers real-time photos and videos of major incidents to keep the public informed about the size, location and direction of wildfires in his community. Having frontline experience on the fireground helps Trey better understand fire behavior, and firefighting tactics and operations. Trey is also certified by the State of California as an Emergency Medical Technician and volunteers in his community providing emergency medical services during disasters and large community events.

Our Team

Clients & Testimonials

Naseem Ahmed
Woolsey Fire

In November of 2018 my family suffered a total burn down of our home during the Woolsey Fire in southern California. This had been our beloved home for 11 years, my wife and I had raised our two daughters there and spent much of our resources nurturing and improving this house. When the Woolsey Fire raged through the neighborhoods of Bell Canyon we had little warning, no evacuation commands from authorities, and no time to clear out our possessions. The house was consumed as I watched, virtually all of our contents with it. We lost photo albums, computers, heirloom jewelry, documents, pretty much anything that wouldn’t fit into small cars.

The loss was devastating to the four of us who lived there. We had to scramble to find a new place to live with only the clothes on our backs. Thinking nature had played a cruel trick on us, I began to hear on the news that the fire may have actually been the fault of a utility company, due to their negligence of maintenance. This is when I contacted Robertson & Associates Law Firm. Robertson confirmed that there was litigation in the works and I retained their services.

I am very pleased to say how well Robertson handled our case. They helped us every step of the way during a very complex and lengthy process. The firm’s attorneys were very skilled and knowledgeable with this type of case and I felt very confident they were leaving no stone unturned when it came to documentation, statements, or procedures. I spent many hours discussing various aspects of our case and they were always professional and courteous.

I am very pleased with the settlement we reached. Robertson aggressively represented us to the full extent and I feel they went beyond what was expected. I would like to commend the fine work of various attorneys I worked with over a nearly 3 year period: A very heartfelt thank you to Olivia Steinfeld, Mark Uyeno, and Ben Petiprin for their tremendous help in navigating this case. Of course we couldn’t have made it this far without the work of Alex Robertson, who handled our mediation first-hand.

I would highly recommend Robertson & Associates to anyone needing legal help in matters such as ours. The firm has the knowledge and skills to take on the large, complex cases.

Richard Hirsh
Principal, Cielo Farms Winery, Malibu, CA

I’d like to thank you and your team for representing me and my family during the “Woolsey Fire” lawsuit” against Edison. We could not have had a better experience/outcome, ….flawless.
“Professionalism” was a prevailing theme throughout the Edison Lawsuit experience with Robertson and Associates, as well a good communication with you and your team.
I never waited more than minutes in getting any question answered during the experience. Alex, you are a “straight shooter,” a critical ingredient in someone’s character that is so rare in today’s business environment and refreshing to say the least. During our experience together you and your team were right there for me every step of the way. You and your team made it easy for Diana and I to “prevail” in this case. Your group of experts were a direct extension of your professionalism. We could not have been more delighted at how this case turned out.
On a scale of 1-10 , 10 being exemplary, I would rate Robertson and Associates a “15” !!!
WELL DONE ALEX!
THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Douglas Thomas
Woolsey Fire

Our family wants to thank your Law Firm ,your entire personnel, and especially Olivia Steinfeld, for your work and expertise in settling the Woolsey Fire with SCE. A lawsuit such as this requires professionals who know the law, have experience. In these extraordinary cases, Robertson and Associates has the ability to negotiate and settle, and doing so in a short period of time, because each day the Plaintiff is not compensated, we are in a holding pattern.
Prior to the Woolsey Fire, we were a family with twin autistic sons. Many people knew us from the Lifetime movie, Miracle Run. Our success with the education, medical and social well-being depended where we lived; close to the myriad of services an autistic person needs. We had achieved this through years of hard work.
In our case, we lost our entire home and personal belongings, and overnight had no place to live.
Our fire insurance did not cover the cost to rebuild, and Building regulations including materials are still skyrocketing. We were all traumatized: what once was a stable life vanished in flames. The staff at Robertson and Associates worked fast, even though COVID now had interrupted everything from court hearings to mediation. Every email, phone call and question was answered immediately.
Robertson and Associates repaired that life for us, my family can move on and heal. Thank you for being there for us, Robertson and Associates made a difference in our lives!

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