Blackbird Mountain Guides Fined $151,300 Following Deadly Avalanche
Blackbird Mountain Guides is facing $151,300 in fines from Cal/OSHA related to the deadly avalanche at Castle Peak. The company was cited for seven alleged violations, including a significant fine for not addressing a hazard when avalanche danger was rated…
San Francisco Oakland San Jose, CA, August 21, 2026 —
Blackbird Mountain Guides has been issued $151,300 in proposed fines by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) in connection with a deadly avalanche incident at Castle Peak.
The avalanche guide company was cited for seven alleged violations following the incident. A substantial portion of the total fine is attributed to one specific violation: failing to address a known hazard when avalanche danger was rated high.
Details regarding the specific dates of the incident or the timeline of the investigation were not provided in the summary. The names of individuals involved, including victims or company representatives, were also not specified.
Cal/OSHA’s citations indicate alleged failures by the company to ensure a safe working environment. The agency’s findings suggest that the company did not adequately mitigate risks, particularly when faced with high-risk avalanche conditions.
The total proposed fine of $151,300 comprises penalties for the seven alleged violations. The summary did not specify the amounts of the individual fines for each violation, beyond noting a significant penalty for the failure to address hazards during high avalanche danger.
Further information regarding the company’s response to the citations, any potential appeals, or the outcomes of subsequent inspections were not detailed in the provided summary.
Story summarized from the original created by AP on abc7news.com, see more information here.
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