Joy Chen, an author who was also the administrator of the pickleball WhatsApp group for the Altadena Country Club, has become a leader among other Eaton Fire survivors. "CBS Saturday Morning" takes a look at how Chen is helping her community rebuild after immense losses.

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.

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.

• Emergency room visits for heart attacks at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center jumped 46% in the 90 days after the fire, and unusual blood test results more than doubled.

• The new findings are part of a research project documenting the fires’ long-term health effects.

• Researchers believe the fires’ true death toll is much higher than the 31 documented fatalities related to injuries.

Nearly one year after the Eaton Fire destroyed or contaminated thousands of homes in Altadena, fire survivors Tuesday urged Southern California Edison to provide housing aid to the many families facing homelessness.

Eight in 10 Eaton Fire families remain displaced with most running out of housing funds, according to research by the nonprofit Department of Angels. Fire survivors say without support from SoCal Edison, families cannot move forward in their recovery while fearing where they will sleep next month.

“We are not here in anger. We are here in love for our community,” said Joy Chen, executive director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network. “When a company’s fire destroys or contaminates homes, that company has a responsibility to keep families housed until they can get back home.”

• Zaire Calvin grew up in Altadena. For nearly a year since the Eaton fire destroyed his town, he has become a voice for his community.

• His mom bought his childhood home in the 1970s when Altadena was one of the few places Black families could own properties. Years ago, he bought the house next door. Both homes are gone now.

• 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.

Southern California Edison, accused of starting the deadly Eaton Fire in the Altadena area, has made its first compensation payment to an Eaton fire survivor or a family of survivors, the utility announced Tuesday.

SoCal Edison began offering compensation through the Wildlife Recovery Compensation Program in September, promising expedited payments for various types of damage or destruction by the January wildfire.

The company did not say who received the compensation, and how much the person/house hold received.

A coalition of Eaton fire survivors and community groups called on Southern California Edison on Tuesday to provide immediate housing assistance to the thousands of people who lost their homes in the Jan. 7 wildfire.

The coalition says an increasing number of Altadena residents are running out of insurance coverage that had been paying for their housing since they were displaced by the fire. Thousands of other residents had no insurance.

“When a company’s fire destroys or contaminates homes, that company has a responsibility to keep families housed until they can get back home,” said Joy Chen, executive director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, one of the coalition members asking Edison for emergency assistance of up to $200,000 for each family.

A coalition of community groups came together to present a plan to prevent a worsening housing crisis in Altadena due to the Eaton Fire, and they want SoCal Edison to pay for it.

The coalition, led by the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, the Eaton Fire Collaborative Leadership Council, the Clergy Community Coalition and the Altadena Town Council, unveiled a housing relief proposal on Tuesday morning. In a joint media release, the groups said the plan is aimed at “stabilizing families so that the Eaton Fire recovery can proceed.”

Survivors of the deadly Eaton Fire and local officials on Tuesday called on Southern California Edison to pay for rental housing as many displaced Altadena residents struggle with disaster recovery.

A coalition of fire survivors, activists, elected officials and area residents gathered nearly a year after the January wildfire to warn that recovery has stalled because families are struggling to stay housed. According to the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, Edison bears financial responsibility because the utility’s equipment sparked the blaze.

Nearly a year after the Eaton Fire ripped through Altadena, destroying thousands of buildings and homes and killing at least 19 people, the Edison International president is addressing the devastating blaze and the company's work to help victims. 

Pedro Pizarro, President and CEO of Edison, the parent company of Southern California Edison, says that despite there being no official cause of the destructive inferno, the company has started to pay out to victims through a compensation program. 

A coalition of Eaton Fire survivors and advocates is urging Southern California Edison to provide housing support for those still struggling after losing their homes.

Our client, Luis Cazares, thought he was lucky.

When the Eaton Fire tore through the foothills of Altadena, his home—unlike many of his neighbors—was still standing. But relief didn’t last. The air inside was thick with chemicals, ash, and toxins. Within minutes, he felt sick. Smoke had soaked into walls, furniture, and ventilation system, rendering the house unlivable.

Luis isn’t alone. Thousands of Californians returned to homes spared by flames but poisoned by smoke. A  2025 JAMA study found that Los Angeles County experienced over 440 excess deaths following the Eaton and Palisades fires, far beyond the 31 official fatalities. And analyses summarized by the Salata Institute at Harvard link wildfire smoke to dramatic spikes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, in some cases reaching 70% above baseline during heavy-smoke periods.

• The Collaboratory, an Altadena disaster relief hub, opened in October to house nonprofits serving fire survivors still rebuilding after January’s Eaton fire.

• The hub consolidates scattered aid for housing, mental health and permitting to address the complex needs survivors face.

• As charitable attention fades, the Collaboratory is a critical lifeline for those still at risk of community displacement.

The first thing you see when you walk into the Collaboratory in Altadena is a wall of devastation. A floor-to-ceiling map of every lot lost to the Eaton fire in January — 9,413 structures. Each marked with a red dot on a grid of streets that have looked like a charred moonscape for 11 months.

The wall is a harrowing depiction of loss in the Eaton fire. But one turn to the right, and hope kicks back in.

Fire survivors are calling for longer timelines on mortgage forbearance and better policy to stop credit hits as the expiration of mortgage protections looms nearly a year after the most destructive fires in L.A. County history.

After the Eaton and Palisades fires, hundreds of mortgage companies promised to let borrowers delay their monthly payments for 90 days. In September those protections were extended and enhanced when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 238 into law. That allowed survivors to request forbearance for up to 12 months, without requiring full repayment at the end of the forbearance period.

Ever since, fire survivors have said some mortgage lenders are not adhering to those rules.