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Blackbird Mountain Guides faces $150K in fines over state's deadliest avalanche
Regulators said the company failed to identify avalanche hazards and report three employee deaths on time, citing nine fatalities in the Castle Peak area.
- On Friday, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued $151,300 in workplace citations to Blackbird Mountain Guides following the February 17, 2026, avalanche that killed nine people near Lake Tahoe.
- Nine people, including three guides and six clients, died after an avalanche buried the group near the Frog Lake Huts during a blizzard despite high avalanche warnings from the Sierra Avalanche Center.
- Cal/OSHA imposed an $81,000 'willful-serious' penalty for "Failing to correct the imminent hazard posed by traveling in avalanche terrain when the avalanche danger was rated high." Other violations included inadequate employee training.
- Blackbird Mountain Guides owner Zeb Blais stated the firm is appealing the fines, arguing the citations "do not reflect the reality of our profession or the safety program we have built."
- Separately, the Nevada County District Attorney's Office continues investigating the incident for potential criminal charges, while civil lawsuits from victims' families remain possible.
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36 Articles
36 Articles
Blackbird Mountain Guides faces $150K in fines connected with deadly Castle Peak avalanche
Cal/OSHA issued $151,300 in fines against Blackbird Mountain Guides for seven alleged violations it found in connection with the state's deadly Castle Peak avalanche in February. The largest fine, $81,000, was for "failing to correct the imminent hazard posed by traveling in avalanche terrain when the avalanche danger was rated high."
·San Francisco, United States
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Associated Press News+17 Reposted by 17 other sources
Backcountry guide company faces $150K in fines after California’s deadliest modern avalanche
California workplace safety officials have fined Blackbird Mountain Guides after an avalanche killed three guides and six skiers in February.
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources36
Leaning Left12Leaning Right6Center16Last UpdatedBias Distribution47% Center
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources are Center
47% Center
L 35%
C 47%
R 18%
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