One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
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.
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.
-
Populations of two disease-carrying mosquito species are concerning public health officials, who are employing new strategies to reduce their populations. -
The inaugural event kicks off Friday, July 24. The crawl includes stores from Pasadena to Santa Monica, from Montrose to Manhattan Beach. -
Recent rulings have struck down requirements in L.A. and Pasadena for landlords to pay thousands of dollars to tenants who couldn’t afford large rent hikes.
“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.”
Sponsored message
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.
-
Your game plan for what happens next. LAist will be there every step of the way. -
The review commissioned by the L.A. County Fire Department echoes other after-action reports, pointing to unprecedented conditions and strained resources as main challenges. -
911 recordings obtained by LAist shed light on why and how emergency planning continues to leave people with disabilities behind.
Meanwhile, she said, attorneys for Southern California Edison have yet to agree to a trial date for the existing lawsuits about the fire.
“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.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
