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California utility sued by warehouse fire victim relatives

FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2016 file photo, Judy Hough, left, and her husband Brian, center, hold a picture of their son Travis, who died in a warehouse fire, during a vigil at Lake Merritt in Oakland, Calif. Attorneys representing the families of people who died in the Northern California warehouse fire that broke out during an unlicensed concert plan to file an updated lawsuit against the building's owner and manager Tuesday, May 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2016 file photo, Judy Hough, left, and her husband Brian, center, hold a picture of their son Travis, who died in a warehouse fire, during a vigil at Lake Merritt in Oakland, Calif. Attorneys representing the families of people who died in the Northern California warehouse fire that broke out during an unlicensed concert plan to file an updated lawsuit against the building's owner and manager Tuesday, May 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2016 file photo, Judy Hough, left, and her husband Brian, center, hold a picture of their son Travis, who died in a warehouse fire, during a vigil at Lake Merritt in Oakland, Calif. Attorneys representing the families of people who died in the Northern California warehouse fire that broke out during an unlicensed concert plan to file an updated lawsuit against the building's owner and manager Tuesday, May 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

By Associated Press 3 min read

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Relatives of 18 of the 36 people who died in Oakland’s “Ghost Ship” warehouse fire added California’s Pacific Gas & Electric utility on Tuesday as a defendant in their wrongful death lawsuits. They claimed the company should have known the warehouse’s electrical hookups were hazardous and illegally installed.

Authorities have not disclosed what caused the Dec. 2 fire but have said they are investigating electrical causes. PG&E was added as a defendant to a “master complaint” lawsuit that combined the 18 separate lawsuits into one, lawyers for those relatives said.

PG&E “contributed to this fire and horrible loss of life,” attorney Mary Alexander said. “It’s not about deep pockets, it’s about culpability.”

The company responded in a statement that it had no reports of electrical theft or problems “or any other anomalies from this location or the adjacent premises.”

It added that the utility is cooperating with authorities investigating the fire and “can say that our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims of this tragic event.”