INTERNET provider Verizon has been accused of putting lives at risk by “throttling” a California fire department’s service as it fought deadly wildfires earlier this month.

Despite being advised of the impact of interfering with emergency communications in the midst of a crisis, the company demanded that the fire department upgrade its service package before it would restore capacity.

Santa Clara County Fire Chief Anthony Bowden warned the throttling “had a significant impact on our ability to provide emergency services” as firefighters tried to deal with wildfires that had spread across one million acres of land.