Altadena asked Edison to bury power lines. Some fire victims say that could cost them $40,000

""Residents are so angry," Cipolla said. "We were completely blindsided.""

""The damage is being done now and it's irreversible," homeowner Robert Steller said, pointing Maiden Lane to where an Edison crew was working."

"The work would "be downright fatal" to the decades-old trees, he said."

Southern California Edison plans to bury more than 60 miles of electric lines in Altadena to reduce wildfire risk and improve grid reliability. Homeowners who survived the Eaton wildfire may face $20,000 to $40,000 connection fees to link their properties to the new underground lines, with some estimates near $30,000. Residents found stakes marking trenches beneath surviving oak, pine, and cedar trees, raising fears that root cutting and transformer placement will kill mature trees. At least one homeowner physically blocked trench work to protect trees and a transformer site. Edison is seeking government or charity funding and will temporarily allow overhead connections for surviving homes.

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