Nearly a year after California’s Eaton Fire, some survivors say their homes look untouched but are contaminated by toxic smoke and ash. As Southern California Edison faces scrutiny over the fire’s cause, families are weighing settlement offers against the mounting costs of cleanup and long-term health risks.

The parent company of Southern California Edison has admitted their equipment likely sparked the fatal Eaton Fire, but a new Los Angeles Times report indicates the company perhaps could have done more to stop it.

The Times explained that for four years before January’s wildfires, SCE billed customers for “hundreds of millions of dollars authorized for transmission line maintenance and upgrades.”

Those funds, however, weren’t immediately put to use by the utility, the Times said, citing regulatory records.

Residents of communities directly impacted by the Eaton Fire have begun receiving financial compensation from Southern California Edison’s, the utility announced Tuesday.

The Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program launched on Oct. 29. So far, residents have submitted more than 1,500 claims, with offers extended and accepted and additional payments made by year-end, company officials said.

“We are grateful to community partners — neighbors, local organizations and first responders — for their tireless efforts to support recovery,” Pedro Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, SCE’s parent company, said in a statement. “We committed to helping quickly, too, delivering offers within 90 days and payments within 30 days. Today, we’re making good on that promise in a fraction of the time, providing much-needed payments when the community needs it most.”

Nearly a year after the deadly Eaton fire in Southern California, the first payment from the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program has been made.

In October, Southern California Edison launched the program, which offers to reimburse victims for their losses and provides additional sums for pain and suffering.

SCE did not reveal how much was paid, but the program says it provides 42 months of housing support, covering individuals who lost their single-family homes.

• Edison failed to spend hundreds of millions of dollars authorized for transmission line maintenance and upgrades before January’s fires while continuing to bill customers for the work.

• Edison’s aging transmission lines are suspected of igniting two January fires, including the Eaton fire that killed 19 people and destroyed over 9,000 homes in Altadena.

• After the fires, Edison accelerated repairs. It denies it fell behind on maintenance.

• A group of Eaton Fire survivors are asking Southern California Edison to advance temporary housing support immediately.

• SoCal Edison says the company is committed to helping the Altadena community recover, but residents argue the program isn't enough.

• The Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,000 buildings, including some 6,000 homes. 

PASADENA, Calif. - Eaton Fire survivors are urging Southern California Edison to provide housing aid to the many families now facing homelessness.