Wildfire Victims First Coalition
|
|
|
Wildfires continue to take a heavy toll on California families, businesses and communities. To help address these challenges, a growing statewide effort called the Wildfire Victims First coalition is bringing together organizations focused on long-term solutions that put wildfire victims first, strengthen wildfire prevention and support a stable and affordable insurance market. The coalition is centered on protecting people and communities that are most impacted when wildfires strike.
The coalition builds on recent reforms adopted by the state, including Senate Bill 254, which strengthened the financial stability of the California Wildfire Fund. These reforms help ensure that homeowners, renters and businesses have the resources needed to recover and rebuild after wildfires, while helping protect electricity customers from steep rate increases.
The bill also directed a comprehensive review of how California prevents, responds to and recovers from large wildfires. That review found the current system is not sustainable and that meaningful reform is needed to better protect wildfire victims, restore stability to the insurance market and reduce escalating costs for Californians.
The Wildfire Victims First coalition consists of housing, business, labor and public safety organizations around shared priorities. These include preventing wildfires before they start, ensuring access to affordable and comprehensive insurance and delivering faster, fairer compensation to wildfire victims without years of delay. Together, the coalition aims to advance solutions that support safer, stronger and more resilient communities across California.
|
|
|
Wildfire Preparedness Week
|
|
As California advances long‑term solutions to support wildfire victims and strengthen prevention, preparedness remains just as critical. Wildfire Preparedness Week (May 3 -9) highlights the importance of being ready before wildfire risk increases, to help protect lives, homes and communities.
This week provides an important opportunity for residents, businesses and community leaders to recommit themselves to staying informed, review emergency plans and have conversations about readiness. Preparation ahead of time can reduce impacts, support first responders and help communities respond more effectively.
Trusted tools and resources are available from CalFire, offering clear, accessible information to support preparedness statewide. By pairing strong policy solutions with proactive preparation, California communities can continue building resilience during wildfire season and beyond.
|
|
|
20th Annual AAPI Heritage Month Event
Southern California Edison (SCE) is excited to announce our upcoming Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Event! This year's theme is Resilience in Action - Empowering Progress Together! Join us on May 15 from 8 - 11:30 a.m. at SCE's Energy Education Center (Irwindale). Attendees will enjoy a day of networking, inspiring guest speakers and recognition of Asian American Pacific Islander businesses and community organizations for their commitment to clean energy, community involvement and inclusion. Register here.
|
|
|
Wildfire Safety Community Meeting
To help you stay informed and prepared for Public Safety Power Shutoffs, SCE is hosting two virtual discussions for customers.
You will learn about:
· What to expect this year
· How to prepare for outages
· Available programs and services
· Getting support during an outage
· Enhancing emergency preparedness
You may register to attend the May 19 or May 21 virtual community meetings.
|
|
|
EV & Clean Mobility Summit
The Electric Vehicle (EV) and Clean Mobility Summit: Accelerating a Cleaner Future from City Hall to the Classroom will bring together local government, education, and community partners to learn about city-driven EV projects and initiatives in the San Gabriel Valley and explore how college workforce training programs can support the growing clean mobility sector.
The event will be held on May 15 at Rio Hondo College, you can register here.
|
|
|
Altadena Rebuild and Community Hub
SCE opened the Altadena Rebuild & Community Hub (ARCH) to provide in‑person support for community members impacted by the Eaton Fire as they begin the rebuilding process. At the hub, residents and business owners can get answers to questions about permits, power service, undergrounding plans and available recovery programs. SCE team members also help customers understand whether financial assistance through the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program may be available to support their recovery. By offering personalized guidance in one location, the ARCH helps the community move forward with clarity and confidence.
|
|
Frequently Asked Questions
|
|
|
Question: Why does SCE sometimes remove trees instead of just trimming them?
Answer: Some trees pose an ongoing safety risk because of their size, species, condition, or proximity to power lines. For fast‑growing or brittle trees, trimming alone may not sufficiently reduce the risk of contact with power lines or falling limbs, especially during high winds and longer fire seasons. While SCE understands that homeowners are often emotionally attached to their trees and we do not take removals lightly, public safety must come first when a tree creates a continued wildfire or safety hazard. More information: Replacing Risky Trees | Energized by Edison
|
|
|
Please Submit Your Questions: If you have a question related to SCE and electrical service, please send them to us in one of two ways:
· Contact your local SCE Government Relations Manager and pose the question.
· Send the question directly to the team at SCE.LocalPublicAffairs@sce.com.
We will go through all questions and answer them in priority order, based on the most popular or frequently asked. Answers will appear each month in this newsletter. Thank you for your interest and engagement with SCE Local Public Affairs!
|
|
News Archive
Here you will find our recent content, including past newsletters, toolkits, and videos. Visit our Local Public Affairs archive.
|
|
|
Sign Up for SCE Newsletters
News Release Alerts: Updates about recent media or press releases.
Edison for the Record Alerts: Updates on corrections to inaccuracies and misinformation in recent media articles.
ENERGIZED by Edison Weekly Newsletter: Weekly newsletter with Edison International and SCE news stories.
Sign Up for SCE Newsletters
|
|
|
|
