Sunday, July 26, 2026

Edison Says More Than 12,000 Have Sought Eaton Fire Compensation Directly

Cell phone images of the first moments after the Eaton Fire ignited on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, on the mountainside opposite Midwick Drive’s terminus at N. Altadena Drive in Altadena. [Jennifer Errico]

Attorneys and survivor advocates continue to object to the program’s terms

More than 12,000 individuals, trusts and legal entities have sought compensation directly from Southern California Edison for Eaton Fire losses, the utility said Friday. More than 2,300 claimants have been paid, with many more in process, Edison said.

Edison opened the voluntary Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program in October 2025 and says it resolves claims faster than litigation. Plaintiffs’ attorneys and survivor advocates say Edison’s terms cost claimants too much.

Edison reported nearly 4,000 claims have been filed, with 38% filed by attorneys or authorized representatives, and more than 2,200 offers extended to over 5,400 claimants, totaling more than $750 million.

Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, the utility’s parent company, said the participation reflects the importance of “a fair and accessible path to compensation.”

Offers are delivered on average within 35 days and many claimants are paid within two to three weeks, Edison said.

The company also rebutted what it called three myths, saying a claim filing does not waive rights or affect the ability to pursue litigation, that charitable donations are not deducted from compensation, and that waiting for trial carries no assurance of a larger recovery.

A claimant who accepts an offer signs a release covering past and future Eaton Fire claims against the utility and related entities, and any pending suit is dismissed with prejudice, Edison said. The company claims its program pays in line with past wildfire settlements, and that some claims from the 2017 and 2018 fires remain pending.

Amanda Riddle, a lawyer working on a suit against the utility, told LAist in November that delayed trial dates could push claimants to resolve cases “at a deep discount.” She wrote that plaintiffs continue to urge Edison toward a full, fair and negotiated settlement process.

Joy Chen, executive director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, told LAist in November that Edison deducts the full value of survivors’ insurance contracts from what it owes while 70% of insured survivors face delays and denials.

But, Chen said in January, “it’s Edison’s responsibility to solve all of this.”

Separately, roughly 1,000 Eaton Fire lawsuits are consolidated in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Edison’s Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program Claims close Nov. 30. The first bellwether lawsuit trial is set for Jan. 25, 2027.