NEWS stories
Banner on Rose Parade float calls for Eaton Fire inquiry from California AG Rob Bonta
A banner calling for an investigation into the Eaton Fire response from Los Angeles County officials was briefly spotted at the Rose Parade in Pasadena on Thursday. Tom Wait speaks with the people behind the statement and what they hope to change with their call to action.
These hidden rules reveal how California insurers undercut wildfire claims, leaving families in damaged homes
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.
California regulators order Edison to look for fire risks on its old transmission lines
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.
How Did This Family End Up Back in a Toxic House?
After the Los Angeles fires, their insurer told them they could return home.
L.A. fire cleanups reports describe repeated violations, illegal dumping allegation
Federal oversight reports allege that the main contractor hired to clean up the Eaton and Palisades fires may have illegally dumped toxic ash, reused contaminated soil and cut corners.
Inspectors documented crews moving fire debris onto neighboring properties, burying ash and burned materials to avoid full removal, re-contaminating “cleared” lots and spraying polluted water into storm drains.
Despite warnings about lead and other toxins, FEMA refused to fund post-fire soil testing. State agencies are noncommittal about how they will handle such testing in the future.
The primary federal contractor entrusted with purging fire debris from the Eaton and Palisades fires may have illegally dumped toxic ash and misused contaminated soil in breach of state policy, according to federal government reports recently obtained by The Times.
Meet the LA woman using pickleball to rebuild her community after the Eaton Fire
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.
LAFD Palisades fire report author called final version ‘highly unprofessional’
The author of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s after-action report on the Palisades fire declined to endorse it because of substantial deletions that altered his findings, calling the edited version “highly unprofessional and inconsistent with our established standards.”
For Bass and LAFD, there’s no watering down how bad 2025 has been
A blistering Times investigation found that the Fire Department cleaned up its after-action report, downplaying missteps.
The LAFD cannot be trusted to honestly and thoroughly investigate itself.
So Cal Edison Announces First Payments Issued by Eaton Fire Compensation Program
Southern California Edison said the first payment in its Wildfire Recovery was made last week, 45 days after the program’s launch on October 29. The program provides compensation to community members directly impacted by the Eaton Fire.
SCE reported that more than 1,500 claims have been submitted. As of Dec. 15, the company listed 1,551 total claims; 3,293 claimants and household members involved; 27 offers extended; and one payment made.
‘You can’t dispute ash’: Eaton Fire survivors battle invisible damage
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.
Some Eaton Fire survivors have been sleeping in their cars; group calls on Edison for housing relief
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.
Pasadena Unified Details Toxic Soil Removal Plans for San Rafael Elementary School Campus
Pasadena Unified School District said new soil testing at San Rafael has confirmed the need for soil removal and replacement after City of Pasadena Public Health Department (PPHD) county-recommended post-Eaton Fire sampling found lead at concentrations exceeding Department of Toxic Substances Control screening levels in two Pasadena communities within district boundaries, according to information the district released Friday.
The district said the additional testing followed Los Angeles County Department of Public Health soil sampling results. Pasadena Unified conducted additional soil testing across all campuses, and initial testing at San Rafael identified areas of soil requiring additional assessment within the play field and two planter areas along the north and east boundaries of the school.
Times Investigation: LAFD report on Palisades fire was watered down, records show
The Times obtained seven drafts of the LAFD’s after-action report on the Palisades fire.
Deletions and revisions in the drafts amounted to an effort to downplay the failures of city and LAFD leadership.
The most significant edits involved the LAFD’s deployment decisions before the fire, as the wind warnings became increasingly dire.
Huge budgets cuts, enrollment drops: Pasadena schools struggle to rebuild after Eaton fire
Five public or charter schools burned or sustained severe damage in the Eaton fire, and about 1,100 Pasadena Unified students lost homes.
Teachers deploy art and music programs to help students cope with the trauma of the January blaze.
School board members of Pasadena Unified, which faces a multimillion-dollar deficit, voted to approve $24.5 million in budget cuts for the 2026-27 academic year.
Edison neglected maintenance before Eaton Fire: LAT
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.
Edison makes 1st payment in Eaton Fire compensation program
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.”