Consumer Watchdog Opposes Mandatory Fast Pay for Wildfire Victims

Under Governor Newsom's current proposal, survivors would be forced to navigate the Fast Pay program for a year or longer before seeking legal recourse. Consumer Watchdog argues this delay invites the destruction of vital evidence. In the Eaton Fire, investigators only identified Southern California Edison’s equipment as the ignition source after an attorney secured surveillance footage from a local Arco station in Altadena. Before this discovery, the utility company officially blamed the incident on individuals living in a nearby encampment.

Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, characterized the mandate as a tactical move to shield utilities from accountability. By creating a mandatory waiting period, the legislation would effectively sideline attorneys who build the records necessary to prove corporate liability. The organization is urging state legislators to ensure the Fast Pay program remains strictly voluntary, allowing victims to pursue litigation without bureaucratic obstruction.