As flames incinerated whole blocks in Southern California, fierce winds pushed dark, speckled ash through Rossana Valverde’s door frames, windows and vents. Her home stood a short drive from the worst destruction caused by January’s Eaton Fire, but she had gotten lucky: Apart from a singed tree, her property appeared unscathed.

Yet the acrid stench in the bungalow she shared with her husband suggested otherwise. The remains of other people’s homes now permeated hers.

• State regulators ordered Edison to assess fire risks on 355 miles of unused transmission lines, including the century-old equipment suspected of igniting the Eaton fire.

• Edison must create a plan to address those idle lines, potentially including removal, marking the first major regulatory action related to electric infrastructure after the fire killed 19 people.

• Regulators are requiring other California utilities to take similar actions with their dormant transmission lines.

State regulators ordered Southern California Edison to identify fire risks on its unused transmission lines like the century-old equipment suspected of igniting the devastating Eaton wildfire.

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.

Gabriel Gonzalez, a Southern California native and Eaton Fire survivor had not publicly shared what life has been like for him over the last year, until today.

"I spent probably eight months out of the year in my car, having difficulty finding showers, finding anything," said Gonzalez.

Nearly one year since the Eaton Fire, roughly 80% of families remain displaced. Tuesday, a coalition of survivors, non-profits, and community leaders called on Southern California Edison to further help in housing relief.

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.