Program Overview
California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) is pleased to announce the completion of the 2024 Edison International Recovery Program. Through this initiative, Edison International provided funding via CFSC to support direct wildfire relief, post-fire recovery, and capacity-building efforts in communities impacted by the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.
CFSC awarded a total of $144,000 in subgrants to two organizations serving Los Angeles County: the Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council and Safe Community Project (MySafe:LA Division). These projects focused on advancing community recovery through a combination of practical wildfire resilience measures, resource access, education, and emotional and community healing.
Across both awards, the program supported efforts to strengthen community preparedness and recovery capacity, while addressing both the physical and emotional impacts of wildfire events.
This grant program is now closed. The information below reflects completed work supported through the 2024 Edison International Recovery Program, funded by Edison International and administered by the California Fire Safe Council (CFSC).
Awarded Projects & Completed Work
Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council Recovery Project
The Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council Recovery Project addressed critical post-wildfire recovery needs by supporting both home hardening efforts and community-based healing spaces for residents impacted by the January 2025 wildfires.
A key component of the project focused on reducing wildfire vulnerability in Wildland-Urban Interface communities by providing financial assistance and expert guidance for homeowners to complete vent retrofits, helping to improve home safety against future ember intrusion.
In addition to mitigation work, the project created intentional spaces for community connection and emotional recovery. These included both virtual and in-person gatherings designed to support residents in processing shared experiences, reflecting on loss, and rebuilding a sense of community. A standout component of this work included Wildfire Cafés—community gatherings that brought participants together in supportive, facilitated environments. These included a virtual café that connected individuals across California, as well as an in-person gathering held at the Getty Villa, which convened community members from across Los Angeles County in a reflective, restorative setting.
Together, these efforts supported both physical wildfire resilience and the longer-term process of community healing.
MySafe:LA Wildfire Recovery and Resilience Initiative
The MySafe:LA Wildfire Recovery and Resilience Initiative supported communities impacted by the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires through a coordinated approach that integrated recovery resources, creative expression, and long-term resilience-building.
The project provided culturally responsive recovery information and improved access to essential resources, while also supporting emotional healing through facilitated storytelling spaces and additional episodes of the REBUILD:LA podcast. These efforts created opportunities for residents to share lived experiences and connect through narrative and reflection.
A central component of the initiative included youth-focused creative recovery programming delivered in partnership with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. Through one-day mobile studio workshops held in Altadena, Pasadena, and the Pacific Palisades, students from affected communities participated in songwriting, recording, and multimedia production. Working alongside professional musicians and educators, students created original music centered on themes of resilience, identity, and change—transforming personal experience into collective expression.
The project also advanced long-term resilience by strengthening Fire Safe Council networks through mentorship and organizational support, and by developing practical tools for recovery. This included a bilingual community-driven recovery guide that integrated rebuilding information with mental health and financial recovery resources. In addition, the initiative supported home safety improvements through the replacement of fire-damaged or non-compliant vents with ember-resistant models to reduce future wildfire risk.
Together, these efforts supported both immediate recovery needs and long-term community resilience through education, creativity, and practical wildfire mitigation.
Since 2018, the California Fire Safe Council has partnered with Edison International to provide more than $1,600,000 in grants to 44 organizations in the Southern California Edison service territory. These programs have helped to build wildfire resilience by increasing the capacity for local Fire Safe Councils and others to lead, staff, plan, organize, and implement wildfire recovery within their communities.
QUESTIONS?
For all 2024 Edison International Recovery Program inquiries, please contact Gabriela Erazo Smith, Senior Grant Specialist at gerazo@cafiresafecouncil.org, or Jared Peri, Fire Safe Communities Program Manager, at jperi@cafiresafecouncil.org.
The California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) supports communities across the state in wildfire preparedness and resiliency through grant funding, programmatic support, and technical assistance. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
