One year after the Eaton fire, delayed insurance payouts leave families in limbo

Jan. 7, 2026 1:40 PM PT

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One year after the Eaton and Palisades fires, survivors described a recovery marked by uneven progress, with some households beginning to rebuild while many others remain displaced, their savings dwindling as payments they are owed arrive slowly or not at all.

Dozens of survivors gathered Wednesday morning and recounted their experiences one year after the fires. Many of them shared their ongoing displacement, mounting debt, housing instability and being at the edge of homelessness.

California Fires

Melissa Gomez

Melissa Gomez is an enterprise reporter on the State Team who joined the Los Angeles Times in 2018. She reports on a range of news and issues, with a special focus on the Central Valley. She previously covered education and the 2020 presidential campaign at The Times. A native Floridian, she graduated from the University of Florida.

Brenda Elizondo

Brenda Elizondo is an audience engagement fellow at the Los Angeles Times. She was previously a video content creator and reporter for L.A. Times Food and De Los, the Latinidad section. She received her bachelor’s degree in communications from Cal State Fullerton.