As 2025 comes to an end, Southern California Edison (SCE) continues its efforts to support communities affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires that occurred in January. The company is providing direct compensation through its Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program to eligible individuals and businesses impacted by the Eaton Fire.
The program, which began in October, aims to offer fair and prompt resolutions without requiring those affected to engage in lengthy legal processes. As of December 31, SCE has received 1,748 claims. The company has extended 51 offers totaling $21.98 million, with none declined, and made 27 claim payments consisting of 48 individual payments ahead of schedule. Of the claims submitted, 22% have come from plaintiffs’ attorneys.
Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, stated: “Witnessing the resilience across our communities is inspiring. Through the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program, community members don’t have to wait for the final conclusions in the Eaton Fire investigation to get the financial support they need to begin rebuilding.”
Before launching the program, SCE held over a dozen listening sessions with community members, public officials, and legal representatives to gather feedback on its design. More than 1,000 participants contributed suggestions that led to over 50 updates—including expanded eligibility and simplified documentation requirements. Since then, SCE has continued outreach through meetings and workshops.
SCE worked with Kenneth R. Feinberg and Camille S. Biros—recognized experts in compensation fund administration—to design a process focused on speed and fairness. When it launched on October 29, SCE committed to processing claims quickly; settlement offers are provided within 90 days of receiving a complete claim submission, often sooner. Payments are issued within 30 days after all conditions are met.
“In recent weeks, we’ve seen real progress as more people access the support available to them,” Pizarro said.
Participation in the program is voluntary; claimants are not required to accept settlement offers. Completing a claim form takes about 90 minutes on average. Assistance is available by phone at 888-912-8528.
The program covers various types of losses including total or partial structure loss for owners or tenants, commercial property loss, business interruption, non-burn damage such as smoke or ash exposure, physical injury, and loss of life. To encourage participation among those represented by attorneys (excluding direct claim premium), a 10% addition is offered for attorney fees.
Claims can be submitted until November 30, 2026 via a secure website that provides guidance materials in English and Spanish.
In addition to compensation efforts, SCE is investing in infrastructure improvements intended to reduce wildfire risk and support regional growth. Plans include undergrounding approximately 153 miles of distribution circuits around Altadena and Malibu as well as upgrading key infrastructure systems. In 2025 alone, SCE completed undergrounding work on 40 miles throughout its service area—including nearly half in Malibu—and continues deploying advanced grid technologies for improved maintenance and service restoration.
Regarding the ongoing investigation into the Eaton Fire’s cause—which began with aerial and ground inspections—SCE reports that current evidence suggests company equipment could have been involved in ignition; induction from an idle line remains under consideration as an explanation. No other plausible sources have been identified so far.
“Our commitment is to continue connecting people with the resources they need so they can rebuild and thrive,” Pizarro said.
Southern California Edison serves about 15 million people through five million customer accounts across Central, Coastal and Southern California within a service area covering roughly 50,000 square miles.
