Thursday, September 10, 2026

Edison to Host Eaton Fire Compensation Meeting in Pasadena Thursday, Ahead of Nov. 30 Claims Deadline

[photo credit: Westminster Presbyterian Church]

The utility says it has offered more than $860 million through its voluntary program; a claimant who accepts an offer signs a promise not to litigate further

Southern California Edison will hold a community meeting on its Eaton Fire compensation program from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Pasadena, the utility said in an Aug. 28 news release.

Company leaders and program participants will provide updates, a panel of participants who received compensation will describe their experiences and Southern California Edison experts will answer questions, according to the utility. Eligible individuals and businesses have until Nov. 30 to submit a claim.

Southern California Edison said that as of Aug. 28 it had received more than 4,450 claims covering more than 13,600 individuals, trusts and legal entities, with 39% submitted by attorneys or authorized representatives. The utility said it had extended more than 2,500 offers to nearly 6,300 claimants as of that date, totaling more than $860 million, and had paid more than 3,100 claimants over $460 million.

Offers are being delivered in 36 days on average, against a 90-day commitment, the company said in the Aug. 28 release. More than 77% of offers have been accepted and less than 2% declined, according to Southern California Edison. Offers have ranged from $15.1 million for a claimant with multiple properties to $15,000 for a tenant with non-burn damage, according to the program’s website, last updated Sept. 8.

“One of the most effective ways to understand the program is to hear directly from people who have gone through it,” Pedro J. Pizarro, president and chief executive officer of Edison International, Southern California Edison’s parent company, said in the announcement.

Participation does not affect a claimant’s rights until the claimant accepts an offer and signs a settlement agreement, Southern California Edison says. The settlement agreement signed on acceptance includes a promise not to litigate further, according to the program’s website, which also says participation is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing and that the company expressly denies responsibility for the underlying events.

Fire survivors have complained that the program requires participants to give up lawsuits against the company to receive settlements, and many said its payment caps were too low.

The U.S. Department of Justice sued Edison in September 2025, alleging the utility’s negligence caused the fire, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. A first bellwether trial in the consolidated Eaton Fire litigation is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2027, in Los Angeles Superior Court, as previously reported.

Southern California Edison’s previous community meeting at the church, on June 30, drew more than 100 community members, the company said. In announcing the June meeting, the utility said it remains focused on helping Altadena community members recover.

Refreshments will be provided and Spanish translation will be available at the Sept. 10 meeting, and Southern California Edison is asking attendees to register and submit questions in advance, according to the announcement. Help with claims is available by phone at (888) 912-8528.

Westminster Presbyterian Church is at 1757 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena.