Backcountry guide company faces $150K in fines after California’s deadliest modern avalanche

California workplace safety officials have issued $150,000 in fines to Blackbird Mountain Guides following a February avalanche that resulted in nine fatalities. The incident, which claimed the lives of three guides and six skiers, is recorded as the deadliest avalanche in modern California history.

The state regulatory action follows an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the guided backcountry excursion. The fines address safety violations identified by officials after the group was caught in the slide while traversing a mountain slope.