Utilities have been blamed for starting more than 2,000 fires in the last few years, including the Camp fire in Paradise, the wine country infernos and the Thomas fire, which blackened 281,893 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties in 2017.

PG&E has not said how much it will cost to put Paradise power lines underground, adding that the process will take five years. Because of the level of destruction, the utility was going to have to rebuild the power system in Paradise regardless.

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