In September, after one of the most violent wildfire seasons in California history, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that would allow utility companies to charge customers for future legal settlements from the 2017 wildfires--even if they were the utility company's fault. Consumer advocates have criticized it as a bailout, with utilities having to augment their efforts to reduce the risk of fires. Furthermore, the law requires to pay the entire cost of accidental fires if they fail to properly maintain electrical transmission stations and distribution power lines.