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Together, We Will Hold Southern Cal Edison Accountable
I am so sorry for what you are going through right now. I know this wasn't just your home. It was your community and your way of life. I am sure you are asking yourself, where do I go from here? How do we even begin to recover from this disaster?

Throughout my career as an advocate, I have talked to thousands of families that have had these same questions and have gone through what you are going through right now. I am here to tell you that we will get through this. And we will get through this together. Our team will be here every step of the way to help guide and support you through this challenging journey. We are ready to take on the fight to hold Southern California Edison accountable and get you and your community the justice you deserve."
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We Stand with the Residents of
Altadena, Sierra Madre and Pasadena
Erin Brockovich*
Consumer Advocate
We Stand with the Residents of
Altadena, Sierra Madre and Pasadena
Together, We Will Hold Southern Cal Edison Accountable
Erin Brockovich*
Consumer Advocate
I am so sorry for what you are going through right now. I know this wasn't just your home. It was your community and your way of life. I am sure you are asking yourself, where do I go from here? How do we even begin to recover from this disaster?

Throughout my career as an advocate, I have talked to thousands of families that have had these same questions and have gone through what you are going through right now. I am here to tell you that we will get through this. And we will get through this together. Our team will be here every step of the way to help guide and support you through this challenging journey. We are ready to take on the fight to hold Southern California Edison accountable and get you and your community the justice you deserve."
Get started

Town Hall Live Stream

Watch a live stream of today's town hall meeting below. The video presentation will begin at 10:00 AM PT.
Watch our Feb 8th town hall meeting with Erin Brockovich
Lawsuit Announced Against Southern California Edison
Digital Video Analysis Shows How the Eaton Fire was Started
Come Meet Erin and Our Team This Friday and Saturday
Friday, February 7th at 6:30 PM
Saturday, February 8th at 10:00 AM
Both events will be held at the:
Pasadena Masonic Temple
200 S. Euclid Ave., Pasadena, CA
Erin Brockovich*
Consumer Advocate
Lawsuit Announced Against Southern California Edison
Digital Video Analysis Shows How the Eaton Fire was Started

One of The Most Experienced Wildfire Litigation Teams in California

Our team, led by experienced wildfire attorneys Mikal Watts1 and Doug Boxer, along with consumer advocate Erin Brockovich2, have, together, successfully represented over 20,316 wildfire victims across California and Hawaii.

Following the devastating Pacific, Gas, & Electric utility wildfires in 2017 and 2018, we established local offices and held hundreds of town hall meetings to educate people about their legal rights to recover. Collectively, our attorneys helped lead the negotiations resulting in a global settlement of $13.5B. Our commitment to our clients is evident, as 99.6% have chosen to stay with us in the pursuit of justice.
We have represented
20,316
wildfire clients
99.6%
of our clients have chosen to stay with us
1 Mikal Watts is licensed to practice law in Texas, Oregon, and Arkansas.
2 Erin Brockovich is not a lawyer.
California Client Testimonials
The Case Against Southern California Edison
Timeline of Events

January 5th, 2025

On Sunday, January 5th, 2025, the National Weather Service issued warnings of “Extreme Fire Conditions, with Widespread Damaging Winds,” giving notice to SCE, to take all necessary actions to prevent their infrastructure from sparking a wildfire.

Since the firestorms in San Diego in the 2010s and 2017 in Northern California, utilities across California, including SCE, and the Western United States have implemented a variety of actions to try to eliminate risks of their equipment starting an uncontrollable wildfire that can kill people and devastate communities including shutting off power in areas where high winds might damage utility infrastructure and spark a fire.  Proactively shutting off power to an area is called a Public Safety Power Shutoff or PSPS.  Unfortunately, it appears SCE did not implement a complete a PSPS in the area where the Eaton Fire ignited. The result of this is that power was flowing through the SCE’s equipment at the time of the forecasted wind event in the area where the Eaton Fire started. Our research demonstrates that their equipment failed in the winds and sparked the Eaton Fire. We now all understand what happened after the fire started – pure property devastation and loss of life.

January 7th, 2025

Our initial research indicates that Southern California Edison’s (SCE) equipment ignited the Eaton Fire on January 7th, 2025.

Your justice is our mission.
Choosing us means choosing a team that sees you, hears you, and fights for you.
Whether you need an ear to listen, or a shoulder to lean on, our team will meet you wherever is convenient for you. We will be here to help guide and support you through this journey.
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Our Commitment To You

We Will Be Here For You

EXPERIENCE THAT MATTERS
Along with our experienced wildfire lawyers, we bring together experienced fire-cause and origin experts, arborists, business valuation consultants, and advocates to work tirelessly for our clients. As advocates for over 20,000 wildfire victims and survivors across the United States, we know what it takes to build a successful case against a utility.
TREAT YOU LIKE FAMILY
We approach this relationship like you are family. We will be there to provide support, encouragement, and thoughtfulness.
PROVIDE IN-PERSON ACCESS
This is more than a job to us. The people who will be helping you on your path to recovery understand what you are going through. Many are your community members.
PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE
Your safety and comfort with our team is of the utmost importance. You will be sharing personal and private information that allows us to fight on your behalf.
SEEK THE TRUTH
Wrongdoers almost always deny their culpability. We do not let this deter us. In 2017, working together with experts, our team developed evidence to help demonstrate the cause and origin of one of the largest North Bay fires was utility-owned equipment. This work helped to ensure thousands of victims and survivors received justice for their injuries and damages.
FIGHT FOR REAL CHANGE
While the primary purpose of our litigation is to get justice for our clients, our goal is also to change bad corporate behavior. Our PG&E litigation resulted in over $14 billion going to all victims and survivors of PG&E’s devastating fires between 2015 and 2018, but lawyers also insisted on certain changes to PG&E’s board of directors and on other structural changes. Since then, while PG&E has ignited some fires, overall, the company has operated more safely than prior to our litigation. Our goals here are no different and we will continue to seek the kinds of reforms to help ensure this does not happen again.
Maui Client Testimonials
“I feel taken care of. They are seeing the situation and assessing the devastation and the gravity of all of this. At this point, they are here to support and understand and give us the resources to continue."
Astrid | HECO Lawsuit Client
“When we stepped into that office, it was very comforting, very assuring of the process and what was involved and what will happen moving forward...the environment was very welcoming and supporting.”
Jeremy | HECO Lawsuit Client
“I feel taken care of. They are seeing the situation and assessing the devastation and the gravity of all of this. At this point, they are here to support and understand and give us the resources to continue."
Astrid | HECO Lawsuit Client
Join the Fight for Justice
Our team is ready to be there for you like we have for thousands of families across California and Maui. This isn’t just a legal fight—it is your story, your voice, and your justice. We’re honored to help you and will fight for you with relentless determination and unwavering care. The following questions help us understand if we are able to represent you. If you have any questions, you can email us at support@lafirejustice.com or call (626)-684-3315.
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How Do I Know if I Qualify?

Home/Property/Land Damage
If your property was totally destroyed, partially destroyed, or has soot and ash damage, we will work with our rebuild and repair experts, arborists, and appraisal experts to accurately value the damage. This will help us seek the largest possible amount on your behalf.
Personal Property Damage
This includes everything from the standard items in your home, your vehicles, cherished items, family heirlooms, exceptional items, and collectibles. While there are some things money can’t bring back, we retain personal property experts who will work with you to get everything cataloged to position us to advocate effectively.
Emotional Distress Day of Fire
You may have suffered emotional distress as you were fleeing from the fast-moving fires, or sheltering in place. We are so sorry for what you went through. As with your physical injuries, please seek counseling or other medical attention if you are suffering emotionally from the fires. We will be submitting a claim for the emotional distress you have experienced.
Emotional Distress After the Fire
You may also be suffering emotional distress as you think about everything that was lost. The impacts are beyond just your material possessions as you way of life  has been destroyed as well. All the places you used to visit are gone and you can no longer enjoy your property. In the law, we call this “nuisance.”  Please seek counseling or other medical attention if you are suffering emotionally from the fires. You should also consider keeping a diary of your daily activities since the fires, including writing down how you are feeling each day.
Death of a Loved One
Tragically, we know that there has been a significant loss of life associated with these fires. It is truly horrific and unprecedented in modern American history. If you have a family member who passed away in the fire or from health impacts from the fire, we extend our deepest condolences and sympathies. Our team has worked with many families who have faced the tragic outcome of someone passing away in a wildfire. We are here to ensure you and your loved ones get the justice deserved, while also protecting your family’s privacy as best we can.
Physical Injuries
Reports indicated many people suffered personal injuries while fleeing the fires. Please seek medical attention if you were one of those folks. You should also take care to keep track of any out-of-pocket costs associated with treating these injuries, including any co-payments to medical providers, medical supplies, and prescription drugs.
Business Income Loss
If you lost your business, even one that is home-based, we work with business experts who help you determine the value of what you lost. In turn, we will seek to recover these losses on your behalf.
Personal Income Loss
The fires have destroyed thousands of buildings, some of which may have housed active businesses. As a result, some community members may have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. If you are one of those people, we will seek to recover your personal income losses.
Out of Out-of-Pocket Expenses
In the days, weeks, months, and years that follow this tragedy, you will likely incur out-of-pocket expenses for things like housing, food, travel, clean-up costs, and other unforeseen costs. You should immediately start keeping track of all of these expenses as best you can. All of these will be a part of what we fight to get you compensated for.
Things to Think About
As you continue to learn about how lawyers are involved, you may need clarification about how we can help. Here are some things you should know as you consider getting involved.
  • We can help you whether you have insurance or not. Your status as insured or uninsured does not impact your ability to participate in this litigation.
  • You do not need to own property. We will work with renters as well as homeowners. You may also qualify if you were simply an occupant living in someone’s home.
  • You do not have to be injured for us to help.
  • It is likely that some, if not all, of your important documents were destroyed. You do not need to have all of those in order to get started with us. We understand, as will a Court, that you might have lost everything you owned in a catastrophic fire. Over time, you can re-acquire some crucial documents, such as a driver's license or passport. But there are some things that you won’t be able to get back. In this case, we will work with the Court and the defendant to establish rules to help ease some of your burden of document production.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have already filed and/or received compensation from a home insurance claim, do I still qualify?
Yes, you still qualify. The fact that you have or don’t have insurance has no impact on whether you qualify to participate in the litigation.
If I was renting my home and it burned down or was damaged, can I participate in this lawsuit?
Yes. Renters and Adult Residents (i.e. guests who didn’t pay rent) whose home was destroyed or damaged by the fire can participate in the litigation.
How do you, the lawyers, get paid?
We operate on what is called a Contingency Fee arrangement. You will only pay us, your lawyers, if you recover for your injuries and damages. If your case does not settle or result in a jury award in your favor, then you will owe us nothing. This arrangement will be covered in a written agreement between you and us called a CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT AND CONSENT TO FEE SHARING. Again, if you receive no award, the attorneys are not entitled to receive any payment from the client including a reimbursement of costs incurred.
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What We Recommend Doing Right Away Whether You Choose to Hire Us or Not

01
If you are insured, contact your insurance company to report all losses and request a copy of your insurance policy as soon as you are able. Keep any documents you receive from your insurance company. Take detailed notes of conversations with your insurance company representatives or adjusters.
02
Keep track of all out-of-pocket expenses related to the fire, including medical expenses, groceries, shelter costs, clothes, relocation expenses, gasoline, or purchasing a replacement vehicle.The best way to track receipts is to take a photo with your phone as soon as you buy something.
03
When you get access to your damaged property, try to take photographs of everything.
04
Start creating a list of anything damaged or destroyed on paper or, better yet, if you can access a computer in a digital database like Excel.
05
If you are considering hiring a public adjuster, please make sure to ask about the fee that s/he will charge you. They usually take a percentage of the monetary value that they get from your insurance company. It can be very expensive and you want to know what they are going to take from. You can see if a Public Adjuster you are considering hiring holds a valid State of California license by clicking here.
06
If you have insurance, please understand that the insurance company is obligated to pay you for your loss. This is a binding contract between you and your insurer. If you feel your insurer is not treating you fairly after attempts to get them to cover your loss, please visit the State Insurance Commissioner’s website here.

Featured Articles

Videos

We understand the impact of these fires are still being felt. We believe that it is important for survivors to be able to access the most up-to-date Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire information. Below you will find links to media coverage of the fires.
Empowering McBride Fire Survivors

In this video, mass tort attorney Mikal C. Watts explains how his law firm has significant experience in the area of wildfire litigation. He and the legal team at Watts Law Firm has a proven history of securing billions for clients in catastrophic cases, and stands as a steadfast ally for wildfire victims seeking justice and recovery.
Fighting Utility Negligence in the Wake of the McKinney Fire

The McKinney Fire wreaked havoc in the Klamath National Forest, California, in July 2022. Igniting near McKinney Creek Road, this inferno rapidly engulfed over 50,000 acres, destroying 185 structures and claiming four lives in just 36 hours.The aftermath brought localized flooding and debris flows, causing further devastation to infrastructure and wildlife. It was the deadliest wildfire of 2022 in California.
Attorney Mikal C. Watts, Mass Tort Litigator at Watts Law Firm LLP

Mikal C. Watts is more than just an attorney - he's a driver of change and a powerful force in the battle for justice. His commitment is about more than just winning cases, it's about empowering people who have been harmed in their struggles against large corporations after their lives have been upended by catastrophe.