[skytreader]

I think the point is PG&E should be blamed for negligence but not for the fire[1]. They could follow all regulation to the letter and there will still be a non-negligible chance that their infra will cause a fire simply because existing regulation is not suitable for the environment their infra stands at.

[1] Although I think the thread is rather vague as to the damages assigned to PG&E no?

[noselasd]

That's usually not how laws works though. If you act irresponsibly, break laws, don't perform due dilligence and so on, you are also responsible and get blame for the consequences.

If you act in good fait, follow all regulations, act responsible, the law might see it as an accident where you don't get blame.

[mensetmanusman]

With this logic, one would blame welders for the Beirut bombing, because they weren’t wearing side shields on their safety glasses.

[zaarn]

Well, they clearly did not establish the fire load in the immediate area of the weld, as is common safety practise in the industry. You wouldn't want to weld near an active gas line either, you want to ensure it's not filled with gas.