SCE’s Eaton fire compensation program moving faster than planned, with $117 million in offers made

Moving faster than anticipated, Southern California Edison’s program to compensate Eaton fire victims has made $117 million in offers to 210 individuals and businesses in its first three months of operation.

The numbers were released Thursday, Jan 29, by SCE with an invitation for more victims to apply to the program, which pays damages to survivors who agree not to sue.

“We know that many in the community are weighing whether this program is right for them,” said Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, SCE’s parent company. “Our hope is that people will take a look at the program, fill out a claim and see if it is the right decision for them. The recovery we are starting to see in the Altadena area is inspiring and a reminder of what this program was designed to do.”

Victims who don’t accept an offer are free to proceed with a lawsuit.

The 8,500-member Eaton Fire Survivors Network criticized SCE’s Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program as offering “pennies on the dollar” for damages caused by the Jan. 7, 2025, fire that destroyed more than 9,000 structures, killed 19 people and caused tens of billions in damages.

“It’s been over a year since the fire and Edison has only now done something for 210 people out of the entire community,” said Andrew Wessels, strategy director for the network. “That’s a drop in the bucket. That sounds like a failure to me, not something to be celebrated.”

The survivors network has called unsuccessfully on SCE to immediately pay each displaced household $200,000 in rent relief without requiring them to forego litigation.

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed alleging SCE’s high-voltage equipment sparked the blaze that leveled much of Altadena. A trial has been scheduled for the first set of lawsuits in January 2027. Plaintiffs’ attorneys have accused SCE of stalling settlement talks while pushing for its own compensation program.

While not admitting blame, SCE has said there is evidence that a long dormant electrical tower became reenergized and caused the fire. The utility voluntarily set up its own compensation fund, which it says will pay victims faster than a potentially protracted and uncertain court battle.

SCE said in a news release its program is designed to offer compensation “commensurate” with settlements from previous wildfires.

So far, Edison says, 2,149 claims have been submitted on behalf of more than 6,000 people. Fifty-nine claims have already been paid for a total of $13.4 million. Before the program began operation, SCE said it would take about 90 days to process each application and make an offer. If the offer is accepted, the money would be paid in about 30 days.

But the process appears to be moving faster than expected, with offers being made and money being paid in less than 90 days.

Among the offers, according to SCE:

• $135,000 for a tenant household with smoke and ash damage to the primary and secondary structure.
• Nearly $650,000 for a tenant household deemed a total loss for a claim submitted by their attorney.
• More than $2.7 million for an owner household deemed a total loss for a claim submitted by their attorney, in addition to insurance proceeds. The payment would cover property loss, loss of use, pain and suffering, attorney fees and a $200,000 premium for going through the program.