Eligible individuals and businesses affected by the Eaton Fire can now apply for compensation through Southern California Edison’s Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program. The program aims to provide timely payments and fair resolutions for direct impacts from the fire.
Pedro Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, SCE’s parent company, said, “We listened to more than a thousand voices and learned what matters most to those impacted by the Eaton Fire: clarity, fairness and speed. This input helped SCE refine the program to respond directly to the community’s needs.”
Southern California Edison held over a dozen listening sessions earlier this fall with community members, public officials, and legal representatives. Feedback focused on eligibility criteria, property value calculations, personal impact payments, insurance interactions, timing of compensation, and coverage for secondary structures and landscaping.
“Expanding the eligibility area is one of the most significant updates made as a result of feedback. The number of qualified properties nearly doubled for those with damage from smoke, soot or ash,” Pizarro added.
Following these sessions, SCE implemented more than 50 changes to the program. These include increased compensation for personal impacts—such as 50% more per child in destroyed structures—and doubling non-economic compensation per child in other affected properties. Document requirements were reduced for certain claims to speed up processing. Monthly fair rental value calculations were also raised by nearly 17% to better compensate loss of use.
SCE engaged RAND Corporation to independently review its valuation methods. RAND concluded that “the data and methods that were used to estimate the pre-fire value, post-fire value and diminution in value for single-family residences destroyed in the Eaton Fire were broadly appropriate. The analyses used modern statistical methods and in our judgment were thoughtfully done and well executed.”
Kenneth R. Feinberg—former administrator of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund—and Camille S. Biros consulted on designing this program. Feinberg stated: “This program is designed to be transparent, swift and sensitive to the needs of those affected.” Biros added: “Our goal is for every participant to receive appropriate compensation without the delays, costs and uncertainties of litigation.” Pizarro emphasized: “This is more than a compensation program; it’s a commitment to recovery.”
Community meetings are scheduled so participants can learn about claim procedures:
– Saturday, Nov. 1 at John Muir High School (Pasadena)
– Wednesday, Nov. 5 (virtual session)
Additional meetings will be announced soon.
The Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program covers owner and tenant claims for total or partial structure loss; commercial property loss; business interruption; non-burn damage such as smoke or ash; physical injury; and loss of life.
Participation is voluntary—claimants only sign a settlement agreement if they accept an offer. There are no fees or extra costs involved. Through Fast Pay, claimants receive settlement offers within 90 days after submitting all required documents; payment follows within 30 days once conditions are met.
Legal representation is optional but available—if represented by counsel at submission time, claimants get an additional 10% added toward legal costs on net damages.
Compensation includes economic losses (such as property damage), non-economic losses (for pain or distress), legal cost support if applicable, plus a Direct Claim Premium unique to this program.
Claims may be submitted online until November 30, 2026 via a secure website; phone-based appointments are available for those needing assistance.
Southern California Edison serves about 15 million people across Central, Coastal and Southern California through five million customer accounts in its service area spanning approximately 50,000 square miles.
