California utility creates compensation program for victims of Januarys deadly Eaton Fire near LA

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Southern California Edison announced this week that even if the cause of the fire that killed 19 people was under investigation, January will create a program to compensate for the victims of destructive Eaton fire.

The creation of the Wildfire Rescue Compensation Program seems to show that public service is ready to accept what it is. Claims a few cases: This equipmentspark Conflict in Altadena.

“Although the details of how Eaton Fire has started, SCE will offer a process to pay and solve immediately,” Pedro Pizarro, the General Manager of Edison International, General Manager of Edison International. He said. “This allows the community to focus more on healing instead of long, expensive case.”

Authorities did not say what caused the more destroyed fire 9,400 houses and other buildings.

It is not clear how much money the ancillary program will add to the program. A case opened by Los Angeles District In March, cost and damage forecasts are expected to be a total of hundreds of millions of dollars and evaluations continue.

SCE said that the compensation program, which will enter into force this autumn this autumn, will be open to those who lose their homes, rental properties or businesses. In addition, the wounded, damaged or killed in the smoke would include those who were killed.

Among those who sued SCE is Ej Soto, which is destroyed by the rented house flames in Altadena. He first heard the program in the news.

He said that the creation of the program was seen as “acceptance” from the auxiliary program that the equipment caused by hell. Soto is concerned that his family will take the pen pen on the dollar ve and said that public service is trying to get out of future cases.

“All our memories are there, where we raise our children. Money will not bring it back. They need to know that our pain is bigger than that,” Soto said on Thursday.

The SCE Payment Plan is created by managers who help create similar programs, including the September 11 Sacrifice Compensation Fund of 2001.

La County earned more than $ 64 million in a settlement with South California Edison in 2018 Woolsey fire. The inspectors determined that SCE’s equipment triggered this fire and also public service. 2 billion dollars To solve the relevant insurance requests.

The benefit equipment has triggered some of the most deadly and destructive fires in the history of the state in recent years.

La Fire Justice, who defended the victims of Wildfire, said in a statement on Thursday that the creation of the SCE program is ready to accept responsibility. However, the non -profit organization said that a fund of Pacific Gas & Electric was slow and inefficient after fires in Northern California.

La Fire Justice’s lawyer, Doug Bok, said, “Experience shows that these direct payments are neither quickly nor fair for the victims. PG & presented a similar program and forest fire victims received insufficient compensation and did not occur quickly.”

Inspectors are also working to determine why. Palisades AteşShortly before the Eaton fire, he went out and killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures in Los Angeles.