Title:Utility expects $2.5B in costs from California wildfires

State officials ruled last month that Pacific Gas & Electric Co., a subsidiary of PG&E, owned equipment that was responsible for 15 of the devastating fires.

国家官员上个月裁定，PG&E的子公司太平洋燃气电气(Pacific Gas & Electric Co.)拥有了的设备对15起毁灭性火灾有责任。

Investigators said fraying and faulty power lines, caused the fires, along with breaking and falling poles.

调查人员说，电力线路的磨损和故障引起火灾，并造成极杆断裂和倒塌。

Even if its equipment was working properly, the company can be held responsible under California law.

即使其设备运转正常，公司也可以根据加州法律追究责任。

"These fires were tragic and we remain focused on helping communities recover and rebuild,"  PG&E CEO Geisha Williams said in a Thursday statement.

“这些火灾是悲惨的，我们仍然致力于帮助社区的恢复和重建，”普惠公司的首席执行官盖莎·威廉姆斯(Geisha Williams)周四发表声明说。

"Looking forward, the state, first responders and California's utilities are all in agreement that we must work together to prevent and respond to wildfires and enhance infrastructure resiliency. Years of drought, extreme heat and 129 million dead trees have created a 'new normal' for our state that requires comprehensive new solutions."

“展望未来，州、第一反应方和加利福尼亚的公用事业都一致认为，我们必须共同努力，预防和应对野火，提高基础设施复原力。多年的干旱、极端高温和1.29亿棵死树创造了我们国家的“新常态”，需要全面的新解决方案。

PG&E said in a filing with investors that the $2.5 billion estimate  "corresponds to the lower end of the range of PG&E Corporation and the utility's reasonably estimated losses, and is subject to change."

It includes the company's expectations for the outcomes of more than 200 lawsuits and any fines or other penalties that may be imposed.

The October 2017 fires killed 44 people and destroyed thousands of homes. They were some of the worst wildfires in the state's history.

2017年10月，火灾杀死了44人，毁坏了数以千计的住房，其中一些是国家历史上最严重的野火。

PG&E already announced its intent to withhold a shareholder dividend this year, saving $1 billion that it could put toward the fire costs.

PG&E今年已经宣布打算扣留股东股息，从而将10亿美元存入火灾成本。