Southern California Edison holds its final in-person Eaton Fire compensation town hall Thursday, Nov. 12, in Pasadena. The meeting comes less than three weeks before the Nov. 30 deadline to file a claim.

The event starts at 6 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1757 N. Lake Ave., the Pasadena Star-News reported.

SCE's equipment has been found to have sparked the Eaton Fire, which destroyed more than 9,000 structures and killed at least 19 people in Altadena. The utility launched its Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program to offer payments to survivors, but accepting an offer means giving up the right to sue the company for Eaton Fire damages.

Edison International President and CEO Pedro Pizarro said in a statement that the company encourages those affected by the fire to submit a claim by Nov. 30 to learn what compensation may be available.

The numbers so far

As of early November, more than 5,730 claims had been submitted to the program, representing more than 17,600 individuals, trusts and legal entities, according to the Star-News. SCE has extended more than 3,320 offers totaling more than $1.1 billion and has paid out about $660 million.

More than 100 people participated in a virtual meeting the week of Nov. 2, according to SCE. A second virtual session is scheduled for Nov. 19.

A hard choice for survivors

Fire survivors face a difficult decision. They can file a claim through SCE and potentially receive payment faster than the legal process would deliver.

Those already in litigation against SCE can still apply, but must do so through their attorney.

The Eaton Fire bellwether trial, originally set for late January, was pushed to early March by a Los Angeles County judge after SCE requested a six-month delay. Attorneys for survivors suing SCE have estimated total lawsuit damages between $10 billion and $15 billion, according to the Star-News. Attorney Gerry Singleton said SCE's program pays victims about half of what they could collect through litigation.

Deadline pressure

The deadline arrives as few displaced residents have returned. A survey by the nonprofit Department of Angels found that only 1% of survivors who suffered total loss in the Palisades and Eaton fire zones have made it back home, the Star-News reported. About one in four survivors in Altadena, the Palisades and Malibu have permanently moved. The share of survivors who sold, are selling or plan to sell their homes rose to 11%, up from 7% in June.

Legal deadlines vary by claim. Some Eaton Fire personal injury and wrongful death claims could face deadlines as early as Jan. 7, 2027, while property-only claims could face deadlines as early as Jan. 7, 2028. Claimants should consult an attorney about their individual deadlines.

Upcoming community dates

  • Thursday, Nov. 12: SCE final in-person town hall, 6 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1757 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena
  • Nov. 19: SCE virtual compensation program meeting (registration at sce.com/directclaims)
  • Nov. 30: Deadline to submit a claim to SCE's Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program