The U.S. Forest Service is investigating whether contract work on PG&E equipment started the Twain Fire. The fire burned in the Feather River Canyon in Plumas County, and PG&E is running its own investigation at the same time.
KQED reported the federal investigation after PG&E filed a required incident report with state regulators. The investigation matters beyond one canyon. PG&E is California's largest utility, and its wildfire history has shaped customer bills, state policy and the company's finances for years.
Table of Contents
- What PG&E Told State Regulators
- How Big the Fire Was and Where It Burned
- Why This Canyon Draws Extra Scrutiny
- Who Is Investigating, and What Comes Next
- What Plumas County Residents and Property Owners Can Do
- Frequently Asked Questions
What PG&E Told State Regulators
On July 13, 2026, PG&E filed an incident report with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the state agency that regulates utilities. The report said a contractor was working on a steel transmission-line pole near Feather River Highway 70 and Twain Store Road around noon on the day the fire started. According to Active NorCal's account of the filing, the report said the Twain Fire was reported in the same area a short time later.
Utilities file reports like this when their equipment or work may be tied to an incident. A report records that the timing and place line up. It does not settle what caused the fire.
How Big the Fire Was and Where It Burned
CAL FIRE's incident page says the Twain Fire was first reported on July 11, 2026. It burned about 276 acres of plumas National Forest. Because the fire burned on federal forest land, the Forest Service is leading the cause investigation.
While the fire held at 276 acres, an evacuation warning stayed in place for the Twain area, The Plumas Sun reported. A warning tells residents to get ready to leave. An evacuation order means leave now. The fire was 95% contained by July 19, and KTVN 2 News later reported full containment, with the cause still under investigation.
Why This Canyon Draws Extra Scrutiny
KQED reports that the Twain area sits inside the burn scar of the 2021 Dixie Fire. PG&E equipment started that fire in the same canyon, and it burned nearly a million acres. PG&E
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Who Is Investigating, and What Comes Next
Two investigations are running side by side: A cause finding usually shapes who pays for suppression costs and damage. Until investigators publish a cause, the contractor's work and the fire are linked only by time and place in PG&E's own report.
- **U.S. Forest Service:** looking into whether the contractor's pole work sparked the fire on national forest land.
- **PG&E:** running its own internal review, and the company says it knows about the federal investigation, Sierra Daily News reported.
What Plumas County Residents and Property Owners Can Do
If you had losses from the Twain Fire, keep records now rather than waiting for a cause ruling: Evacuation rules differ by stage. Sign up for Plumas County's emergency alerts so you get the next warning directly instead of hearing about it secondhand.
- Photograph damage and keep receipts for repairs, lodging or evacuation costs.
- Tell your insurer promptly, even if you think someone else may be responsible.
- Watch for the Forest Service's cause determination and any related CPUC filings.
- Talk to a licensed California attorney before signing any release offered by a utility or its contractor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has anyone officially found what caused the Twain Fire?
No. When the fire was fully contained, reports said the cause was still under investigation.
Why did PG&E report the fire to the CPUC?
PG&E's July 13 filing reported that a contractor was working on one of its transmission poles in the area shortly before the fire was reported.
Is the Twain Fire related to the Dixie Fire?
They are separate fires. The Twain area sits inside the 2021 Dixie Fire burn scar, and PG&E equipment started the Dixie Fire in the same canyon.
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