The Eaton fire in Altadena, CA, poses a risk of depleting the state's $21 billion wildfire fund if Southern California Edison is found liable for causing the blaze. The California Catastrophe Response Council is meeting to discuss the implications of insurance claims related to the fire, which resulted in 19 fatalities and damaged over 6,100 homes. Officials express concern that SCE may lack financial incentive to settle claims carefully, as they can pass costs onto the public fund, which could lead to extensive claims against it.
"If the investigation into the cause of the wildfire, which is currently ongoing, finds SCE liable, the resulting claims may be substantial enough to fully exhaust the Fund," officials who administer the fund wrote in a draft of the annual report.
"Are we impressing on the utilities that they need to settle claims with diligence?" an unidentified Council member wondered, according to recently released notes.
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