Consumer Watchdog opposes mandatory Fast Pay plan for wildfire survivors

By Atlas Watchline Staff · Regulatory · August 28, 2026

Consumer Watchdog said Gov. Newsom's proposed mandatory Fast Pay program for wildfire survivors could delay lawsuits and keep key evidence from public view.

Consumer Watchdog said Aug. 28 that Gov. Newsom's proposed mandatory Fast Pay program for wildfire survivors should not be required before people can file lawsuits.

The group said the plan could delay claims and give companies more time before survivors can get legal help. It said that delay could last a year or more while the program is started and used.

Consumer Watchdog said wildfire attorneys can uncover evidence that shows how a fire started. In its statement, the group pointed to evidence it said showed Edison transmission equipment started the Eaton Fire, including video from an Arco station in Altadena that showed an abandoned transmission line sparking the fire.

According to the source, that evidence was obtained by an attorney representing wildfire survivors. Consumer Watchdog said that without attorney involvement for a year or more, third-party evidence could have been destroyed before survivors found representation.

Jamie Court, identified as president of Consumer Watchdog, said mandatory Fast Pay is “a ploy to bury third party evidence that can prove the utilities start fires.” He also said the Edison evidence would not have been uncovered without a survivors' attorney.

Court said Edison denied its role until the evidence was published in the New York Times and blamed homeless people in an encampment. The statement also referred to Edison and PG&E in the context of delays affecting attorneys' work and evidence disappearing.

Consumer Watchdog urged the legislature to make Fast Pay voluntary instead of mandatory so lawsuits can proceed expeditiously, according to the statement.

Source: PR Newswire

Editorial note: This article was prepared with AI assistance and includes source attribution for reader review.

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