Eaton Fire Survivors Demand $200,000 Housing Relief and Ring Alarm on Wildfire Corporate Accountability

ALTADENA, CA — August 11, 2026 — Fire survivors, civic leaders, and allies will gather outside a SoCal Edison substation in Altadena to demand that Edison advance $200,000 in urgent housing relief for families whose homes were burned and contaminated in the Eaton Fire.

More than a year after the fire, seniors face eviction from temporary housing, tenants are living in cars, and families are camping on burned-out properties while struggling to rebuild. Survivors say Edison, Governor Newsom, State legislators, and federal authorities have failed to provide adequate relief.

“Altadenans want to recover equitably, but relief has not come,” says Heavenly Hughes. “Edison’s profits soared 247% year-over-year, while Altadenans received no aid. Now we are witnessing the State further shielding Investor Owned Utilities.”

Edison International’s profits increased from $1.3 billion in 2024 to $4.5 billion in 2025. Meanwhile, many survivors have received no compensation and are being forced to drain savings and take on debt. Survivors also criticize Edison’s Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program for offering inadequate compensation to fully recover from the brutal toll of the fire and requiring participants to waive future health claims.

Survivors oppose current efforts by Governor Newsom’s proposals to cap corporate liability and expanding protections for California’s for-profit electric utilities.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Eaton Fire survivors coalitions oppose any proposal that would give California’s three investor-owned electric utilities billions of dollars in additional protections while limiting survivors’ ability to recover.

The coalition opposes any prospective August budget action or “gut and amend” bill that would:

• Cap compensation for death, trauma, pain, and irreplaceable loss.
• Shift wildfire costs to policyholders by eliminating insurers’ ability to recover costs from responsible corporations.
• Limit attorneys’ fees, making legal representation less accessible to survivors.

The coalition says these measures would shift the costs of catastrophic wildfires from corporations to survivors, policyholders, taxpayers, and the public—effectively transferring more wealth from fire survivors to corporations and their shareholders.

Dena Rise Up, a coalition of Altadena and Pasadena nonprofit and grassroots organizations demanding a just and inclusive recovery, invites community members, supporters, and press to attend the protest and demand immediate action from Edison International and Gov. Newsom.

The coalition has requested meetings with Edison International’s CEO to discuss the Urgent Housing Relief program. To date, the CEO Pedro Pizarro has declined to meet. 

An immediate $200,000 housing advance would give survivors the stability needed to secure temporary housing and make informed decisions about pursuing either Edison’s compensation program or litigation without financial coercion.

 

When: Tuesday August 11, 2026

• 8:30 AM – Arrive at Edison Altadena Office: 2680 Fair Oaks Ave, Altadena, CA 91001
• 9:00AM – Program begins

Where:  Southern California Edison Substation/Altadena Office at the corner of Mariposa and Fair Oaks, 2680 Fair Oaks Ave, Altadena, CA 91001

 

Who: 

• Eaton Fire survivors and children who are facing severe financial and emotional hardship after having lost homes and being impacted by fire damage 
• Jose Madera, Director of the Pasadena Community Job Center
• Florence Annang, Lead Organizer of Pasadenans Organizing for Progress (POP) 
• Dena Rise Up Coalition, a coalition of Altadena and Pasadena local non-profit and grassroots organizations demanding a just and inclusive reconstruction of Altadena and Pasadena

Nearby Parking:  Street parking available on Fair Oaks and nearby streets. Please read parking signs and turn tires towards the curb.

 

Background: 

Through Edison’s negligence, the Eaton fire killed at least 19 people, displaced tens of thousands of residents, and destroyed the majority of homes in the historic African American community of Altadena. 

 

To recover from unprecedented collective loss, Altadena demands unprecedented collective repair. Fire survivors and supporters call for Edison International and the State of California to restore families and the town by advancing immediate relief.

 

The Dena Rise Up Coalition, alongside more than 250 nonprofit, faith, and community organizations, demands immediate action: Edison must front $200,000 per displaced household now, as an advance against what it already owes, so families do not continue to become homeless while legal battles and the compensation program drag on. According to its own SEC filings, even after burning down over 9,000 structures in the Eaton Fire, Edison is making higher returns for investors and is the only investor-owned utility refusing to advance any payment in hardship. The coalition demands the Urgent Housing Relief be issued immediately, in an amount that allows families the financial stability to make their plans to rebuild.

 

###