\u201cIf Edison\u2019s tower did not ignite the fire, Altadena would still be there,\u201d said Trevor Howard Kelley, who lost his 83-year-old mother, Erliene, <\/a>in the fire.<\/p>\n Kelley, his daughter and two granddaughters had been living with his mother before her home was destroyed, he said.<\/p>\n The Black Altadena residents are part of a larger coalition<\/a> that is asking Edison to advance each family who lost their home $200,000 in emergency housing assistance. They say that more than a year after the blaze many wildfire survivors are running out of the funds they had received from insurers.<\/p>\n The group protesting Friday also called for transparency from Edison. The company has said it believes it is likely its equipment caused the fire but has continued to deny it did anything wrong.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just want the truth,\u201d said Felicia Ford, who lost her house in the fire. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with saying, \u2018We got this wrong.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Scott Johnson, an Edison spokesperson, said Friday that the company continued to believe its voluntary compensation program<\/a> was the best way to help victims of the fire. Edison has promised to quickly review each victim\u2019s claim and pay it swiftly if approved.<\/p>\n Families who lost their homes can receive hundreds of thousands of dollars under the program, while those with damaged homes receive lesser amounts.<\/p>\n But many survivors say they don\u2019t believe the offered amounts fully compensate their losses. And to receive the money, victims must agree not to sue \u2014 which many are not willing to do.<\/p>\n \u201cWe recognize the incredible struggles the community has faced,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThe intent of the program is to reach final settlements to allow the community to rebuild and move on.\u201d<\/p>\n The investigation into the cause of the fire has not yet been released. Edison has said a leading theory<\/a> is that its century-old transmission line in Eaton Canyon, which had not carried electricity for 50 years, somehow became reenergized and sparked the fire.<\/p>\n Company executives said they did not remove the old line<\/a> because they believed it would be used in the future.<\/p>\n Tru Williams said he just wants to get his parents back home.<\/p>\n (Myung J. Chun \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n In December, state regulators ordered Edison<\/a> to identify fire risks on its 355 miles of out-of service transmission lines located in areas of high fire risk and tell regulators how executives planned to use the lines in the future.<\/p>\n This week, Edison disclosed that the Los Angeles County district attorney was investigating whether Edison should be criminally prosecuted<\/a> for its actions in the fire.<\/p>\n![\"Tru](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771672688_185_.jpeg\")
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