Table of contents
- Latest PG&E Fire Lawsuit Updates
- October 14, 2026: Fire Victim Trust Sets Final Payment
- September 30, 2026: Newsom Signs AB 2700
- July 20, 2026: Court Denies Dixie Fire Class Certification
- January 12, 2026: PG&E Reaches Shareholder Settlement
- April 10, 2024: Forest Owners Sue over the Dixie Fire
- January 25, 2024: CPUC Approves $45 Million Dixie Penalty
- May 31, 2023: Judge Dismisses Zogg Fire Charges
- July 12, 2019: Newsom Signs Wildfire Fund Laws
- What Is the Fire Victim Trust?
- Who May Be Affected?
- Reported Injuries or Damages
- Recall and Regulatory Background
- Evidence to Preserve
- Filing Deadlines
- Potential Compensation
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How Much Money Did Camp Fire Victims Get?
- How Much Did PG&E Pay for the Paradise Fire?
- Where Did the Dixie Fire Start?
- Is There a Class Action over Dixie Fire Medical Monitoring?
- Can I Still File a PG&E Fire Lawsuit?
Wildfires tied to PG&E equipment, including the 2018 Camp Fire and the 2021 Dixie Fire, have led to deaths, destroyed homes and many lawsuits. Plaintiffs allege PG&E failed to maintain, inspect and de-energize its power lines.
Fire Victim Trust claims for the Butte, North Bay and Camp Fires are final. A last payment of 1.25% was set for October 14, 2026, bringing payments to 71.25% of awards.
Dixie Fire cases are still pending and no trial is scheduled. No MDL has been formed. People harmed by these fires should keep their photographs, insurance papers and medical records. Those records can matter in any later claim.
Latest PG&E Fire Lawsuit Updates
October 14, 2026: Fire Victim Trust Sets Final Payment
The Fire Victim Trust set its final pro rata payment for October 14, 2026. The payment is 1.25% of each award and brings the total payment to 71.25%.
Trustee Cathy Yanni wrote on September 10, 2026 that no further payments will follow, according to the Trust’s progress page [1]. The Trust came out of the PG&E bankruptcy.
September 30, 2026: Newsom Signs AB 2700
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2700, the Fire Victim and Restitution Recovery Act. It directs the CPUC to review wildfire survivors’ losses in utility-caused fires. The CPUC has until January 2028 to report, FOX40 reported [2].
The bill did not require PG&E to make another payment right away. Any new payment mechanism would need approval from state lawmakers.
July 20, 2026: Court Denies Dixie Fire Class Certification
In a separate putative class case seeking medical monitoring over the Dixie Fire, the court denied class certification on July 20, 2026. PG&E reported this in its quarterly report [3]. No trial is scheduled.
January 12, 2026: PG&E Reaches Shareholder Settlement
PG&E’s parent reached a preliminary $100 million settlement with shareholders who accused it of misleading them about wildfire safety, CNBC reported [4]. As of that report, the deal needed a judge’s approval.
PG&E denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. This is a shareholder case, so the money does not go to fire victims.
April 10, 2024: Forest Owners Sue over the Dixie Fire
Owners of Collins Almanor Forest sued PG&E in San Francisco County Superior Court over the Dixie Fire on April 10, 2024. They seek about $228 million in injuries and damages, according to E&E News [5].
These are allegations in a complaint. The suit adds to the Dixie Fire cases that remain pending against PG&E.
January 25, 2024: CPUC Approves $45 Million Dixie Penalty
The CPUC approved a $45 million penalty settlement for PG&E’s role in the 2021 Dixie Fire. The release lists $40 million for electronic record-keeping, $2.5 million for tribes and $2.5 million for the General Fund [6].
This is a regulatory penalty that goes to record-keeping, tribes and the state. It is not a payment to individual fire victims.
May 31, 2023: Judge Dismisses Zogg Fire Charges
A Shasta County judge dismissed criminal charges over the 2020 Zogg Fire after PG&E agreed to a $50 million settlement. The charges included four manslaughter counts.
Of the total, $45 million goes to local recovery organizations and $5 million to Shasta County, according to the Zogg Fire settlement report [7]. It was a criminal resolution. It was not a victim damages award.
July 12, 2019: Newsom Signs Wildfire Fund Laws
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1054 and AB 111 on July 12, 2019. The laws created the California Wildfire Fund [8].
A “covered wildfire” is only one ignited on or after that date, according to the fund’s website. Fires before that date, such as the Camp Fire and the North Bay fires, fall outside the fund.
What Is the Fire Victim Trust?
The Fire Victim Trust says it was set up in 2020 from the PG&E bankruptcy. It offers an efficient and equitable claim review process for Fire Victims of the 2015 Butte, 2017 North Bay and 2018 Camp Fires.
Cal Fire determined PG&E transmission lines sparked the Camp Fire, and PG&E accepted that finding, ABC7 reported [9]. The Trust has said it cannot collect more money from PG&E under that agreement.
Who May Be Affected?
People who lost family, homes or businesses in a fire covered by the Fire Victim Trust went through its claims process. Its claim determinations are now final, with 71,787 claimants holding determination notices.
The Trust has paid $13.95 billion of the $19.57 billion awarded. It lists 66,530 eligible claimants, or 93%, and says 66,171 of them, or 99%, were paid.
Dixie Fire plaintiffs are a separate group, because the Trust does not cover that fire. About 190 complaints for at least 9,062 people were pending as of July 15, 2026.
Whether your facts fit any of these groups depends on your own situation. Only an individual legal review can say.
Reported Injuries or Damages
Dixie Fire complaints allege wrongful death, property damage, economic loss, medical monitoring and punitive damages. These are allegations, not court findings. Cal Fire says the Camp Fire killed 85 people. CNBC reports it destroyed more than 18,800 structures.
The Dixie Fire began on July 13, 2021 and burned 963,309 acres. It destroyed 1,311 structures and injured four first responders, according to PG&E’s quarterly report.
Cal Fire determined the Dixie Fire began when a tree touched PG&E electrical distribution lines. PG&E accepts that finding but says it acted as a “prudent operator,” CBS Sacramento reported [10].
Cal Fire attributed the Tubbs Fire, which killed 22 people, to a private electrical system. It did not tie that fire to PG&E equipment.
The CDC says wildfire smoke can make anyone sick, but children, people with chronic conditions and people who are pregnant face a higher risk [11].
Recall and Regulatory Background
No product recall applies, because PG&E is a utility. Its wildfire safety program includes planned power shutoffs. The California Wildfire Fund is separate from the Fire Victim Trust.
The fund reimburses utilities for covered wildfires ignited on or after July 12, 2019, and it does not pay individuals.
Evidence to Preserve
Keep these records in a safe place, and do not throw away damaged items without photographing them first:
- Photographs and video of the damage to your home, land or business
- Insurance policies, claims and payouts for the fire loss
- Property deeds, tax records and rebuilding records
- Medical and monitoring records for you and your family
- Receipts for losses and for living costs after the fire
- Employment and business income records before and after the fire
- Fire Victim Trust determination notices and any releases you signed
- Communications with PG&E or with your insurers
Filing Deadlines
Filing deadlines come from state law. They differ with where you live, when the loss or injury happened and when it was discovered.
Waiting too long can end a wildfire claim, even one with strong facts. The Fire Victim Trust claims process is closed. Ask a lawyer promptly, because your own deadline depends on your facts.
Potential Compensation
Damages in wildfire suits can cover the harms described above. Dixie Fire plaintiffs also seek punitive damages. About 29% of approved awards stays uncovered, ABC7 reported.
Paradise Mayor Steve Crowder said the Trust received nearly $112 million in late July from Davey Tree Services, a PG&E vegetation contractor, KRCR reported [12].
Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Potential compensation depends on the facts of each claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Money Did Camp Fire Victims Get?
Camp Fire victims received payments from the Fire Victim Trust, which has paid $13.95 billion in total to victims of three fires. The Trust says 71,787 claimants asserted 254,776 claims, and it does not list a separate Camp Fire total.
How Much Did PG&E Pay for the Paradise Fire?
PG&E’s payment for the Paradise fire is tied to its December 2019 bankruptcy settlement with victims, valued at about $13.5 billion for many wildfires. PG&E filed for Chapter 11 in January 2019 and emerged in June 2020.
Where Did the Dixie Fire Start?
The Dixie Fire started near Cresta Dam in Plumas County on July 13, 2021. Collins Almanor plaintiffs say it burned 55,000 of their 94,000 acres, which is more than half of their land.
Is There a Class Action over Dixie Fire Medical Monitoring?
There is a putative class action over Dixie Fire medical monitoring, meaning plaintiffs ask to sue on behalf of a larger group. Plaintiffs filed their motion for class certification on December 12, 2025.
Can I Still File a PG&E Fire Lawsuit?
Whether you can still file a PG&E fire lawsuit depends on the fire and on your state’s deadline. Trust determinations are final. Questions about a Trust award can go to its claims processor at 1-888-664-1152.