How the Every Fire Survivor's Network Is Changing Who Gets to Recover
Photo by Mykle Parker.
Joy Chen already survived one devastating wildfire. This year, as executive director of the Every Fire Survivor’s Network (EFSN), she got the chance to help shape who pays for the next one.
EFSN was the first to sound the alarm about a sweeping wildfire proposal being planned behind closed doors for the final weeks of California’s legislative session. The proposal would have shifted billions in liability away from for-profit utilities and severely limited wildfire victims’ rights.
EFSN then mobilized survivors across California to expose the proposal and fight back. They held a press conference, testified in Sacramento and rallied at the state Capitol. In a fearless show of solidarity, wildfire survivors also staged a peaceful protest outside Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mansion as he hosted a reception for state lawmakers. Their presence captured the media spotlight and sent a powerful message to lawmakers: survivors were organized, determined and would not be ignored.
Lawmakers ultimately rejected the liability shifts and every proposed limitation on victims’ rights. News media across the state credited EFSN and wildfire survivors with helping defeat the plan.
“Legislators heard us, stood up to enormous pressure from the governor and the utilities, and rejected the biggest bailout protections they demanded,” Chen said in a joint statement with Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court.
The episode marked the growth of an organization that began as a WhatsApp pickleball group connecting local pickleball players before the Eaton Fire. After the fire erupted, the group became an emergency evacuation network.EFSN has now grown into something far more significant – a vast community of survivors who have taken on utilities, insurance companies and mobilized support for policy changes.
Formerly known as the Eaton Fire Survivor’s Network, the nonprofit rebranded itself this year to reflect its inclusive mission, which has evolved from immediate relief efforts to rewriting the rules of recovery for everyone, said Chen, a former deputy mayor of L.A.
The California Community Foundation (CCF) awarded EFSN a critical grant in summer 2025, allowing the organization to formalize operations, obtain a fiscal sponsor, launch a weekly newsletter and pay Chen for her leadership. Without it, EFSN would have shut down, she said. This year, CCF made a second major grant to fund EFSN’s second year through its Wildfire Recovery Fund.
“Every dollar that CCF invested in EFSN has helped unlock over $1,000 directly into survivor bank accounts,” Chen said. “Together, CCF and EFSN are building a future where recovery is not reserved for the wealthy.”
EFSN held a Rally for Recovery Pickleball Festival in August that paired games with a fundraiser at iPickle Arcadia, bringing survivors, families, public leaders and supporters together to raise funds for EFSN’s recovery work. An exhibition match pitted state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez and Chen against CCF President and CEO Miguel A. Santana and Altadena Town Council Chair Nic Arnzen.
The tireless efforts by Chen and her network of more than 10,000 survivors have produced tangible results for survivors trying to get home.
The FedEx envelopes began arriving last fall. Inside were insurance checks – some totalling as much as $2 million – issued just days after EFSN forced a reckoning with one of the state’s largest insurers, Chen said.
EFSN compiled nearly 500 firsthand accounts of alleged insurance misconduct and brought the evidence to L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. Barger directed County Counsel to investigate State Farm. The results were swift and life-changing for many families.
Eaton Fire survivor Andrew Wessels got a call from State Farm shortly after the investigation was opened in November that the company was declaring all of his home’s soft, porous materials and electronics items a total loss.
“I felt a huge sense of relief,” Wessels said. “Just a huge sense of relief to be able to protect our children.”
After the wildfire swept through Altadena, his home was still standing in the middle of the burn zone. The payout for contents by the insurance company went well into the low six figures.
It’s that kind of a return on investment that marks a shift in how philanthropic organizations view disaster recovery, Chen said.
“These systems owe Los Angeles families tens of billions of dollars. Until that money moves, this recovery will be reserved for the wealthy. I don’t think any of us wants to live in that world. Every family deserves a real chance to get home, and that is exactly the future we are building,” Chen said.
– Ben Poston
