text: FILE - In this Oct. 31, 2019, file photo, smoke from the Maria Fire billows above Santa Paula, Calif. A federal judge has approved a settlement that moves Pacific Gas & Electric closer to getting out of bankruptcy. The company cleared its latest hurdle Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, when U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali signed off on a deal to refinance billions of dollars in debt to pay off PG&E bondholders who threatened to cause problems. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File