Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Edison pledges payouts for Eaton Fire survivors as lawsuits loom
Firefighters extinguish hot spots at a home destroyed by the Eaton fire in Altadena.
(
Allen J. Schaben
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Southern California Edison announced Wednesday that it will launch a compensation program for residents and businesses affected by the Eaton Fire.
The utility is still finalizing the details, but the program will allow survivors to submit claims for “total and partial structure loss, commercial property loss, business interruption, smoke and ash, physical injury and fatalities.”
The fire in January killed 19 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in Altadena.
Eligible residents and businesses will then receive their claims via “expedited, direct payments,” according to the utility. Renters, homeowners and those with or without insurance will be eligible to submit a claim.
Support for LAist comes from
Survivors can submit a claim even if they're involved in ongoing lawsuits against the utility, said SoCal Edison spokesperson David Eisenhauer. The details of the program are expected to be released later this summer and launch in the fall.
“Community members shouldn’t have to wait for the final conclusions in the Eaton Fire investigation to get the financial support they need to begin rebuilding,” said Pedro J. Pizarro, president and chief executive of Edison International, SoCal Edison’s parent company, in a news release announcing the program. “This allows the community to focus more on recovery instead of lengthy, expensive litigation.”
Amanda Riddle, an attorney with the lead Eaton Fire case against Southern California Edison, said survivors should carefully consider the details once they're released.
“We look forward to reviewing Edison’s proposed program to see whether it truly seeks to provide full compensation to each and every survivor or whether it is a mere illusion,” Riddle told LAist in an email.
Meanwhile, she said, attorneys for Southern California Edison have yet to agree to a trial date for the existing lawsuits about the fire.
Support for LAist comes from
“Mr. Pizarro is correct: Survivors of the Eaton Fire should not have to wait to be compensated,” Riddle said. “This is what we have been saying in court while attorneys for Edison have been saying the opposite and pushing for delay.”
Pacific Gas and Electric launched a similar program after the 2021 Dixie Fire was sparked by a tree branch falling on its equipment.
Keep track of SCE’s program here.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars. -
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
Best of LAist