Latest news with #WoolseyFire
Washington Post
24-07-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
California utility creates fund for victims of January's deadly Eaton Fire near LA
LOS ANGELES — Southern California Edison announced this week that it will create a fund to compensate victims of January's devastating Eaton Fire near Los Angeles, even as the cause of the blaze that killed 19 people remains under investigation. The creation of the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program seems to suggest that the utility is prepared to acknowledge what several lawsuits claim : that its equipmentsparked the conflagration in Altadena. 'Even though the details of how the Eaton Fire started are still being evaluated, SCE will offer an expedited process to pay and resolve claims fairly and promptly,' Pedro Pizarro, chief executive of Edison International, the utility's parent company, said in a statement Wednesday. 'This allows the community to focus more on recovery instead of lengthy, expensive litigation.' Officials haven't said what caused the fire that destroyed more than 9,400 homes and other structures . It is not clear how much money the utility will contribute to the fund. A lawsuit filed by Los Angeles County in March claims that costs and damage estimates were expected to total hundreds of millions of dollars, with assessments ongoing. SCE said the compensation program, which will go into effect this fall, would be open to those who lost homes, rental properties or businesses. It would also cover those who suffered injuries, were harmed by smoke or had family members who were killed. Among those suing SCE is EJ Soto, whose rental home in Altadena where she grew up was destroyed by flames. She first heard about the fund on the news. She said she considers the fund's creation as a 'form of admission' from the utility that its equipment caused the inferno. Soto worries that her family will receive 'pennies on the dollar' and said the utility is trying to get out ahead of future lawsuits. 'All our memories are there, places we raised our children. Money won't bring that back. They need to know that our pain is greater than that,' Soto said Thursday. The SCE payment plan is being created by administrators who helped form similar programs, including the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. LA County previously won more than $64 million in a settlement with Southern California Edison over the 2018 Woolsey Fire . Investigators determined SCE's equipment sparked that blaze, and the utility also paid more than $2 billion to settle related insurance claims. Utility equipment has sparked some of the deadliest and most destructive fires in state history in recent years. LA Fire Justice, which advocates for wildfire victims, said in a statement Thursday that the SCE program's creation shows that the utility is prepared to accept responsibility. But the nonprofit said a similar fund by Pacific Gas & Electric following wildfires in Northern California was slow to roll out and inefficient. 'Experience suggests that these direct payments for victims are neither quick, nor easy, nor equitable. PG&E offered a similar program and wildfire victims ended up receiving inadequate compensation, and it didn't happen fast,' said Doug Boxer, an attorney for LA Fire Justice. Investigators are also working to determine the cause of the Palisades Fire , which broke out shortly before the Eaton Fire and killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures in Los Angeles.
San Francisco Chronicle
24-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
California utility creates fund for victims of January's deadly Eaton Fire near LA
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California Edison announced this week that it will create a fund to compensate victims of January's devastating Eaton Fire near Los Angeles, even as the cause of the blaze that killed 19 people remains under investigation. The creation of the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program seems to suggest that the utility is prepared to acknowledge what several lawsuits claim: that its equipmentsparked the conflagration in Altadena. 'Even though the details of how the Eaton Fire started are still being evaluated, SCE will offer an expedited process to pay and resolve claims fairly and promptly,' Pedro Pizarro, chief executive of Edison International, the utility's parent company, said in a statement Wednesday. 'This allows the community to focus more on recovery instead of lengthy, expensive litigation.' Officials haven't said what caused the fire that destroyed more than 9,400 homes and other structures. It is not clear how much money the utility will contribute to the fund. A lawsuit filed by Los Angeles County in March claims that costs and damage estimates were expected to total hundreds of millions of dollars, with assessments ongoing. SCE said the compensation program, which will go into effect this fall, would be open to those who lost homes, rental properties or businesses. It would also cover those who suffered injuries, were harmed by smoke or had family members who were killed. Among those suing SCE is EJ Soto, whose rental home in Altadena where she grew up was destroyed by flames. She first heard about the fund on the news. She said she considers the fund's creation as a 'form of admission' from the utility that its equipment caused the inferno. Soto worries that her family will receive 'pennies on the dollar' and said the utility is trying to get out ahead of future lawsuits. 'All our memories are there, places we raised our children. Money won't bring that back. They need to know that our pain is greater than that,' Soto said Thursday. The SCE payment plan is being created by administrators who helped form similar programs, including the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. LA County previously won more than $64 million in a settlement with Southern California Edison over the 2018 Woolsey Fire. Investigators determined SCE's equipment sparked that blaze, and the utility also paid more than $2 billion to settle related insurance claims. Utility equipment has sparked some of the deadliest and most destructive fires in state history in recent years. LA Fire Justice, which advocates for wildfire victims, said in a statement Thursday that the SCE program's creation shows that the utility is prepared to accept responsibility. But the nonprofit said a similar fund by Pacific Gas & Electric following wildfires in Northern California was slow to roll out and inefficient. 'Experience suggests that these direct payments for victims are neither quick, nor easy, nor equitable. PG&E offered a similar program and wildfire victims ended up receiving inadequate compensation, and it didn't happen fast,' said Doug Boxer, an attorney for LA Fire Justice. Investigators are also working to determine the cause of the Palisades Fire, which broke out shortly before the Eaton Fire and killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures in Los Angeles.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California utility creates fund for victims of January's deadly Eaton Fire near LA
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California Edison announced this week that it will create a fund to compensate victims of January's devastating Eaton Fire near Los Angeles. Investigators haven't yet determined a cause for the blaze that killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and other structures in Altadena. The creation of the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program seems to suggest that the utility is prepared to acknowledge what several lawsuits claim: that its equipmentsparked the conflagration. 'Even though the details of how the Eaton Fire started are still being evaluated, SCE will offer an expedited process to pay and resolve claims fairly and promptly,' Pedro Pizarro, chief executive of Edison International, the utility's parent company, said in a statement Wednesday. 'This allows the community to focus more on recovery instead of lengthy, expensive litigation.' It is not clear how much money the utility will contribute to the fund. A lawsuit filed by Los Angeles County in March claims that costs and damage estimates were expected to total hundreds of millions of dollars, with assessments ongoing. SCE said the compensation program, which will go into effect this fall, would be open to those who lost homes, rental properties or businesses. It would also cover those who suffered injuries, were harmed by smoke or had family members who were killed. The LA Fire Justice, which advocates for wildfire victims, said in a statement that the program's creation shows that SCE is prepared to accept responsibility. But the nonprofit said a similar fund by Pacific Gas & Electric following wildfires in Northern California was slow to roll out and inefficient. 'Experience suggests that these direct payments for victims are neither quick, nor easy, nor equitable. PG&E offered a similar program and wildfire victims ended up receiving inadequate compensation, and it didn't happen fast," said Doug Boxer, an attorney for LA Fire Justice. The SCE payment plan is being created by administrators who helped form similar programs, including the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. LA County previously won more than $64 million in a settlement with Southern California Edison over the 2018 Woolsey Fire. Investigators determined SCE's equipment sparked that blaze, and the utility also paid more than $2 billion to settle related insurance claims. Utility equipment has sparked some of the deadliest and most destructive fires in state history in recent years. Investigators are also working to determine the cause of the Palisades Fire, which broke out shortly before the Eaton Fire and killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures in Los Angeles. The Associated Press
Winnipeg Free Press
24-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
California utility creates fund for victims of January's deadly Eaton Fire near LA
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California Edison announced this week that it will create a fund to compensate victims of January's devastating Eaton Fire near Los Angeles. Investigators haven't yet determined a cause for the blaze that killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and other structures in Altadena. The creation of the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program seems to suggest that the utility is prepared to acknowledge what several lawsuits claim: that its equipment sparked the conflagration. 'Even though the details of how the Eaton Fire started are still being evaluated, SCE will offer an expedited process to pay and resolve claims fairly and promptly,' Pedro Pizarro, chief executive of Edison International, the utility's parent company, said in a statement Wednesday. 'This allows the community to focus more on recovery instead of lengthy, expensive litigation.' It is not clear how much money the utility will contribute to the fund, but a lawsuit filed by Los Angeles County in March claims that costs and damage estimates were expected to total hundreds of millions of dollars. SCE said the compensation program, which will go into effect this fall, would be open to those who lost homes, rental properties or businesses. It would also cover those who suffered injuries, were harmed by smoke or had family members who were killed. The plan is being created by administrators who helped form similar programs, including the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. LA County previously won more than $64 million in a settlement with Southern California Edison over the 2018 Woolsey Fire. Investigators determined SCE's equipment sparked that blaze, and the utility also paid more than $2 billion to settle related insurance claims. Utility equipment has sparked some of the deadliest and most destructive fires in state history in recent years. Investigators are also working to determine the cause of the Palisades Fire, which broke out shortly before the Eaton Fire and killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures in Los Angeles.
Business Wire
21-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Resilient Recovery Initiative Receives Grant From the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Following Eaton and Palisades Wildfires
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Climate Resolve and Resilient Cities Catalyst together received a $250,000 grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to seed development of a comprehensive Resilient Recovery Roadmap in response to the Eaton and Palisades wildfires that devastated Los Angeles communities. The Resilient Recovery Roadmap will shape a multi-year, multi-million dollar community-led effort that will guide billions of dollars in long-term recovery funding and build resilience to future disasters. "With the Hilton Foundation's support, we can begin the critical work of bringing diverse stakeholders together to develop actionable plans for recovery and future resilience." The Roadmap will serve as a comprehensive and actionable plan that addresses both immediate recovery needs and long-term community resilience. The project will bring together global expertise from successful disaster recovery efforts while prioritizing local community experiences and needs. "This initiative builds on our previous work following the 2018 Woolsey Fire and applies global best practices in resilience planning to the specific challenges facing Los Angeles neighborhoods," said Jonathan Parfrey, Executive Director of Climate Resolve, who also serves on LA County's Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire Safe Recovery. "With the Hilton Foundation's support, we can begin the critical work of bringing diverse stakeholders together to develop actionable plans for recovery and future resilience." Global nonprofit Resilient Cities Catalyst brings extensive experience in disaster recovery, with a team that has led resilience-building efforts following Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, and other crises. Climate Resolve, meanwhile, combines direct community engagement with successful policy advocacy in California and has authored several wildfire reports, including Lessons from the Woolsey Fire in 2020 and Mental Health Effects Of Wildfire Smoke, Solastalgia, and Non-Traditional Firefighters in collaboration with the UCLA Center for Healthy Climate Solutions in 2021. 'Resilient Cities Catalyst is honored to support this critical recovery effort in partnership with Los Angeles communities,' said Sam Carter, Founding Principal at Resilient Cities Catalyst. 'Every place is unique, but we are excited to share the lessons we have learned from around the world to inform a resilient recovery process.' With a target release date of fall 2025, the Roadmap will be driven by an inclusive and equitable process that integrates convenings, engagement with key stakeholders, and alignment with other existing recovery efforts. For more information about the Resilient Recovery Roadmap or to learn how to support or collaborate in advancing this effort, please contact Kris Eclarino, Senior Technical Manager at keclarino@
