Insurance companies, environmental groups and victims of the 2021 West Wind Fire oppose House Bill 490, which would require that to be found responsible for the damage caused by a wildfire, utilities must be deemed negligent. Though the bill mandates utilities implement and follow wildfire mitigation plans, opponents say the policy doesn’t ensure those plans sufficiently prevent fire and that the bill grants unfair, broader liability protections. Advocates argue the bill enables energy providers to keep low rates in an era of ever-increasing wildfire risk.
