Southern California Edison, accused of causing the deadly Eaton Fire, is willing to offer a hefty sum to wildfire victims in exchange for not suing the utility company, a draft of the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program Protocol revealed Thursday.
The draft was posted on SoCal Edison’s website, appearing to offer compensation for various types of damage or destruction for both homes and businesses from the January Fire in the Altadena area.
For homeowners who are willing to “resolve all claims against” the utility, they could expect the compensation amount to be between $550 to $750 per square foot.
For example, for a 1,500 sq ft house, which used to be valued at $1.2 million before the Eaton Fire and whose post-fire value stands at $600,000, SoCal Edison said it would pay the difference of $600,000.
If a property is intact but suffered damage, the utility would offer a flat payment. For example, a structure that was evaluated to have sustained “major damage,” the property owner would be paid $50,000. For minor damage, the payment would be $30,000.
For businesses and commercial properties, SoCal Edison is offering $375 per square foot as rebuilding cost.
Each adult who was injured during the fire could receive a flat payment of $10,000.
The family of deceased victims could also expect a settlement payment from the utility with the deceased’s decedent getting $1.5 million and spouse receiving $500,000.
Participation will be voluntary for community members, with no application fees, administrative costs or legal fees charged by SCE to take part, according to the utility.
Entering an agreement with SoCal Edison for the payment means fire victims will not be able to sue the utility in the future. And the company will not have to accept guilt or responsibility.
SoCal Edison was scheduled to hold community workshops during which participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and comment on the draft program details.
Registration information is available here.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced it’s suing SoCal Edison, alleging the utility’s negligence caused the Eaton and Fairview fires. The federal government sought $37 million in damages.
The Eaton Fire burned nearly 8,000 acres and 10,000 structures while killing 18 people.
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