Eaton Fire survivors say determination and persistence led to insurance payouts for rebuilding Altadena

Eaton Fire survivors joined local, county and state leaders on the wildfire's first anniversary, saying they refuse to accept the status quo as recovery is failing survivors.

At Wednesday's news conference, Joy Chen, smoke damage survivor and executive director of Eaton Fire Survivors Network, said money has been the deciding factor in recovery, and survivor families without wealth have drained their retirement savings, maxed credit cards and face crushing debt just to keep a roof over their heads.

"When survivors moved together, something amazing happened, the money started to move," Chen said. "And just the first year since the fire, our community unlocked over $100 million in delayed insurance payments, and more is coming."

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger praised the Eaton Survivors Network for keeping detailed fire victim records, which led to a county investigation into State Farm's handling of insurance claims filed by policyholders affected by the Eaton and Palisades Fires. The state's Department of Insurance had also announced it was opening a State Farm "market conduct exam" several months earlier.

"Many families remain displaced, and we know the insurance process has been more difficult and time-consuming than anyone should have to endure…they need to do their job," Barger said. "Most people get fired for not doing their job."

The county investigation into State Farm focused on potential violations of California's Unfair Competition Law, spurred by resident complaints about delays, underpayments, and denials of legitimate wildfire claims. 

Once the county investigation was launched, Chen said the insurance payments started to kick in. "But then when all these checks started coming in, we realized, like wow, they could have paid all along," she said, noting they just needed the incentive to do so.

Altadena resident Rose Robinson said it's like she's lived in a cloud over the last year, losing her home, possessions and her health. "I can't even explain my loss. I saw my house burn, but I can't explain losing everything."

Rose lost memorabilia from both her father's 1936 Summer Olympics race, her uncle Jackie Robinson's professional baseball days, her children's baby pictures and so much more. She endured a short hospital stay from a stress-related ailment and remains out on disability due to stress.

"I've been having dreams. I would have dreams of people on fire. I would have dreams of my family gathering and then, like a fire would 'poof' and they are on fire, they're gone," Robinson said.

Barger said real progress has been made over the past year, due to the strength of survivors pushing systems and refusing to accept the status quo.

"It is on the back of the survivors that light has been shed on how broken this insurance industry is in the state of California, and probably nationally as well," she said. "And we're not going away just because some checks were cut."

Chen said Edison, insurance companies and the federal government still owe survivors tens of billions of dollars.