This electrical transmission tower has a problem (twitter.com)

Article summary

A Twitter thread discusses the cause of the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which was the most destructive in the state's history, burning most of the city of Paradise to the ground and causing 85 deaths. The fire was started by a faulty electrical transmission tower owned by PG&E, which had a broken C hook that was likely nearly 100 years old. The thread highlights the lack of maintenance and record-keeping by PG&E, as well as the role of climate change and poor forestry management in contributing to the disaster. The fire resulted in $16.65 billion in damages.

Main themes

• PG&E negligence
• climate change
• poor forestry management
• lack of accountability
• normalization of deviance
• infrastructure maintenance
• disaster prevention
• corporate responsibility

What commenters say

• PG&E's lack of maintenance and poor record-keeping were the primary causes of the Camp Fire.
• The disaster was the result of a combination of factors, including climate change, poor forestry management, and PG&E's negligence.
• The concept of normalization of deviance is relevant to the PG&E case, where a culture of neglect and complacency led to catastrophic consequences.
• The fine imposed on PG&E was insufficient and did not reflect the true cost of their negligence.
• The root cause of the disaster was not just PG&E's maintenance failures, but also a broader set of factors including housing location, fire management, and climate change.
• PG&E's private company status and lack of competition contributed to their lack of accountability and poor maintenance practices.
• The thread's format, while engaging, made it difficult to follow and understand the complex issues being discussed.
• Climate change and poor forestry management created a 'powder keg' that was waiting to be ignited, regardless of the specific cause of the fire.