Six months after the Eaton and Palisades wildfires, survivors across Altadena and Pacific Palisades are still displaced, still navigating insurance claims, and still fighting to be heard. But they’re not doing it alone.
What began as a local pickleball WhatsApp group—created by Joy Chen and Matt Craig—transformed into the Eaton Fire Survivors Network (EFSN), an online hub of more than 2,000 members. Within weeks of the fire, the chat became a lifeline: helping people track containment zones, share remediation resources, and vent about claim delays.
Chen, a former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles and now CEO of the Multicultural Leadership Institute, has become one of the most prominent voices in the recovery movement.
“For decades, we paid our premiums faithfully,” Chen said. “Now insurers are using delay tactics to profit from our pain. We’re just getting started—and we’re starting with State Farm.”
Under her leadership, EFSN has grown into a formidable advocacy force. More than 20,000 people have signed letters to Governor Gavin Newsom and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, demanding reforms, oversight, and a moratorium on insurance rate hikes until all claims are resolved.
“We’re not asking for miracles, We’re asking for what was promised. And we won’t stop until we get it. ~ Joy Chen”
A Community in Crisis
At the first in-person gathering of EFSN in July, over 200 survivors packed into the Good Neighbor Bar on Lincoln Avenue in Altadena.
The mood was raw. Zaire Calvin, whose sister Evelyn McClendon died in the fire, spoke to the crowd. “Six months to the day feels like 10 years,” he said. “People are fighting for their lives every day—and then have to fight insurance on top of that.”
Delay, Deny, Underpay
According to State Farm, nearly 13,000 claims have been filed for fire-related damage, with $4.2 billion paid out. But many survivors say that barely scratches the surface of what they need to rebuild.
Rossana Valverde, 69, a retired social worker, returned to find her house still standing—but soaked in toxins. Testing revealed lead, arsenic, and nickel in her soil and walls. State Farm offered $38,000 for cleanup. A professional estimate? Over $300,000.
Her response: “It’s vile. We’re still not home. And we’re wearing thrift-store clothes.”
Her premium, once $2,200 a year, is now $9,000.
Others, like Alisa Smith in Pacific Palisades, haven’t set foot back in their homes—but continue to pay mortgages, HOA dues, and rent for temporary housing. Her insurance payout? $405.10.
She’s now seeking a new law firm. “I need someone with the compassion and fight to dig in deep.”
Growing Pressure on State Farm
Amid widespread complaints, Insurance Commissioner Lara launched a formal investigation into State Farm in June, looking into how claims were handled in the wake of the fires. Despite that, the company has already been granted a 17% emergency rate hike, with another 11% increase pending.
Senator Sasha Renée Pérez and Altadena Town Council President Victoria Knapp, herself a fire survivor, are calling for a freeze on further hikes.
“Stop making people suffer twice,” Knapp said. “Once from this disaster, and again from the city and systems that were supposed to protect them.”
Invisible Dangers Linger
Survivors aren’t just battling insurance companies—they’re also dealing with unseen threats inside their homes. Contamination testing in fire zones has found dangerous levels of lead, nickel, arsenic, and beryllium, a toxic metal not typically found in residential environments.
Attorney Kelsey Szamet and her husband are raising their two daughters in a rental after leaving their contaminated home in Altadena. “You walk in and get a metallic taste in your mouth,” she said.
They’ve moved six times in six months.
“We found community in the network, and that’s powerful. But it’s no replacement for what we’ve lost.”
What Survivors Are Asking For
Survivors and advocates like Joy Chen are pushing for real, structural changes:
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Immediate, fair settlement of all open claims
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A pause on insurance rate increases
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Mandatory testing and cleanup coverage for environmental hazards
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Regulation of insurance valuation tools that may underinsure homes
Why It Matters
The January wildfires destroyed nearly 18,000 structures across eight separate blazes. In their wake, a multi-state investigation is now underway into possible systematic underinsurance by companies relying on flawed automated tools to assess rebuild costs.
This isn’t just about one fire. It’s about whether California homeowners can rely on their policies when it matters most.
Final Word
Six months after the flames, survivors are still waiting—on settlements, safe housing, and a sense of normalcy. What they’ve built in the meantime is community, advocacy, and a network that won’t back down.
“We’re not asking for miracles,” Joy Chen said. “We’re asking for what was promised. And we won’t stop until we get it.”
