Friday, September 25, 2026

Edison Says Its Representatives Will Intensify Outreach at Local Events As November 30 Compensation Program Deadline Nears

Utility reports nearly 4,900 claims as survivors’ advocates dispute its offers and City of Pasadena presses its lawsuit

Southern California Edison said Sept. 24 that it has paid more than $525 million to Eaton Fire claimants and that it will send representatives of its compensation program to local events in Pasadena before the program’s Nov. 30 claim deadline.

SCE team members will be at the State of the Black Community event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at First AME Church, 1700 N. Raymond Ave., in Pasadena. Edison representatives will be at other local events throughout October.

As of Sept. 24, nearly 4,900 claims had been submitted on behalf of more than 14,900 individuals, trusts and legal entities, and nearly 2,800 offers totaling more than $970 million had been extended, the utility said.

Eligible residents and businesses that do not file by Nov. 30 will not learn what the program might pay them, the company said.

Survivors’ advocates have criticized the program’s terms, and the City of Pasadena is among the government plaintiffs suing Edison over the fire.

The voluntary Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program, which opened Oct. 29, 2025, covers total and partial structure loss, commercial property loss, business interruption, smoke and ash damage, physical injury and deaths, according to SCE.

Submitting a claim and receiving and evaluating an offer do not waive a claimant’s rights, the company said.  However, a claimant who accepts an offer signs a settlement agreement that includes a promise not to sue further, according to SCE.

SCE said it delivers offers an average of 36 days after receiving a substantially complete claim. Claimants who believe a Fast Pay offer does not reflect their losses may request a Detailed Review, but only if they file by Nov. 30, the utility said. A Detailed Review can take up to nine months, and there is no guarantee of a higher offer, LAist reported.

More than 3,700 claimants have reportedly been paid out a total of more than $525 million, with many more in process, according to SCE.

“As the Nov. 30 deadline approaches, we encourage community members to understand all of the options available to them,” said Pedro J. Pizarro, president and chief executive of Edison International, SCE’s parent company.

The events “provide a convenient way to ask questions, get support and determine the next steps that are right for their situation,” he said.

The Eaton Fire Survivors Network, a grassroots group, has called the program’s offers “pennies on the dollar.” Survivors have also objected that the program requires claimants to give up lawsuits, blocks later health claims and caps payments too low, CalMatters reported in January.

“That’s a drop in the bucket,” Andrew Wessels, the network’s strategy director, told the Daily News in January, when SCE had extended 210 offers.

SCE faces lawsuits from Los Angeles County, the cities of Pasadena and Sierra Madre and the federal government.

In January, after SCE filed cross-complaints naming public agencies including Pasadena Water and Power, the city said “Edison should accept responsibility for the extensive damage it has caused,” ABC7 reported. SCE told ABC7 that the cross-complaints are “a standard legal process that allows the court to fully examine all potential contributing factors and responsible parties.” SCE has acknowledged that circumstantial evidence suggests one of its idled transmission lines could have ignited the fire, Reuters reported.

SCE team members will attend the Altadena Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 2270 N. Lake Ave., and the Pasadena Farmers Market at Victory Park, 2575 Paloma St., from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. The utility has also scheduled 6 p.m. sessions on Tuesday, Oct. 13, a rebuild-focused meeting in Irwindale; Wednesday, Oct. 28, virtual; Thursday, Nov. 12, in person; and Thursday, Nov. 19, virtual.

NEED TO KNOW

Event: Southern California Edison Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program claim deadline. When: Monday, Nov. 30, 2026. Where: Claims are filed online, with one-on-one help by phone or in person. For more, call 888-912-8528 or visit https://www.sce.com/directclaims.