California Lawmakers Consider Wildfire Relief Fund

California lawmakers are said to be considering a proposal to help utilities shoulder billions of dollars in potential liabilities while offering relief to wildfire victims by setting up a compensation fund that would be backed by the state and the power companies. October fires destroyed large swaths of California wine country, including thousands of homes, and killed 44 people, while blazes in December hit areas near Los Angeles. Under California law, utilities including PG&E Corp., Edison International and Sempra Energy could be held liable for costs if their equipment is found to have caused a fire, even if they followed safety rules.