California officials say a hot tub's faulty wiring is to blame for one of the state's most destructive wildfires, a blaze that killed four people and destroyed more than 1,300 homes last year.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection released a detailed report Wednesday into the cause of the 120-square-mile wildfire that devastated a large portion of rural Lake County and parts of Napa County about 90 miles north of San Francisco in September 2015.
The property owners are now being investigated for possible criminal charges and whether they are responsible for any of the $57 million it cost to extinguish the fire. Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott said a building permit was required when the homeowner installed the used hot tub. "We have not found a permit on file.”
Pimlott also stated that investigators are speaking with the state Attorney General in whether or not the homeowners can be sued for the damages.
The fire was the state's third most destructive and forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and businesses.
(The Associated Press, CBS News contributed to this report.)
