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Financial tug-of-war emerges over fire victims' settlement

Posted at 9:38 AM, Jan 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-02 12:38:19-05

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A financial tug-of-war is emerging over the $13.5 billion that the nation's largest utility has agreed to pay to victims of recent California wildfires, as government agencies jockey for more than half the money to cover the costs of their response to the catastrophes.

The settlement Pacific Gas & Electric reached with lawyers representing wildfire victims leaves open how much would be used to compensate people who lost family members, homes and businesses in the fires.

California state agencies say they're owed about $3.3 billion, and federal agencies filed claims totaling $4.3 billion.