By Ivan Penn, Peter Eavis and James Glanz | Graphics by Keith Collins and Jugal K. Patel β’ March 18, 2019
Tower 27/222 looms almost 100 feet tall in the Sierra Nevada foothills, a hunk of steel that has endured through 18 United States presidents. The transmission lines that it supports keep electricity flowing to much of California.
On the morning of Nov. 8, a live wire broke free of its grip. A power failure occurred on the line, affecting a single customer. But 15 minutes later, a fire was observed nearby. Within hours, flames engulfed the region, ultimately killing 85 and destroying the town of Paradise.
The equipment belonged to the stateβs biggest utility, Pacific Gas and Electric. To the companyβs critics, the tower and its vulnerability reflect a broken safety culture. MORE>>
ππππππ πππππππ: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/03/18/business/pge-california-wildfires.html