Eaton Fire Victims Struggling To Get Needed Insurance Payouts 

A year ago this week, the Eaton Fire devastated the city of Altadena. Thousands of families lost their homes, with 31 people dying in the blaze. Sadly, after losing everything, recovery has not been easy for the people affected, with many survivors struggling to get the necessary funds from their insurance companies to begin rebuilding their homes. 

Cal Matters reports that a Department of Angels survey found 7 in 10 fire survivors have yet to return to their homes due to delays in insurance payouts. Additionally, 4 in 10 survivors have faced insurability issues, with their premiums drastically increasing or their coverage being dropped entirely. It’s absurd that these people are dealing with insurability problems for a natural disaster in which they were victims. It’s not like these people’s homes caught fire due to negligence or something within their control. 

Even when fire survivors have been able to receive payouts, they’ve often fallen far short of what’s necessary to rebuild their homes. “We’re seeing huge gaps between the money insurance is paying out, to the extent we have insurance, and what it will actually cost to rebuild and/or remediate our homes,” Joy Chen, executive director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, a group of 10,000 fire survivors mostly from Altadena, told AP.

In Altadena, what was once a vibrant community is filled with vacant lots where homes once stood. At night, many of the streets are completely dark as streetlights still haven’t been reinstalled. In many of the homes that are still standing, families have been unable to return, as it’s been a struggle to clear them of toxic contaminants caused by the fire. 

According to CBS News, there’s starting to be some hope on the horizon for Eaton fire survivors. Chen’s Eaton Fire Survivors Network has found that taking collective action has resulted in more people finally receiving payments from their insurance companies. 

“When survivors moved together, something amazing happened, the money started to move,” Chen said at a news conference on Wednesday. “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 Fire Survivors Network for gathering detailed records from fire victims, which played a significant part in Barger opening a county investigation into State Farm’s handling of insurance claims placed by Eaton Fire victims.

“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.”

Since this is America, it should come as no surprise that Black households in Altadena were disproportionately affected by the Eaton Fire. The Department of Angels survey also found 79% of survivors are facing financial hardships, with Black, Asian, and Latino survivors making up a disproportionate amount of those who are falling behind on their rent or mortgage payments.

NewsOne’s documentary One Year Later: The Eaton Fire highlights how the Eaton fire destroyed family legacies and wiped out generational wealth for several Black families in Altadena. Hopefully, the efforts by the Eaton Fire Survivors Networks will put the Black families who lost everything in the fire on the path toward meaningful recovery. 

SEE ALSO:

The Eaton Fire: 1 Year Later

Altadena: A Picture Of Hope

New Podcast Spotlights Altadena’s Path To Recovery After The Wildfires