Fire Victim Trust Payments: The Final 1.25% Went Out October 14, 2026
Payments Going Out Now
Claim deadline was February 26, 2021 · as of Oct 19, 2026
If you have an award from the PG&E Fire Victim Trust for the 2015 Butte Fire, the 2017 North Bay Fires or the 2018 Camp Fire, the last pro rata payment was scheduled for October 14, 2026. It added 1.25% and brought every award to 71.25%. The Trustee says no more pro rata payments will follow. There is no new form to file.
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Can I Still File?
The claim deadline, what the settlement pays and where to file — plus other settlements still taking claims.
No. The claim deadline was February 26, 2021.
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What the Fire Victim Trust Is
The Fire Victim Trust is not a class action and not a lawsuit you can join. It was created in 2020 out of PG&E's Chapter 11 bankruptcy to review and pay individual claims from three fire events: the 2015 Butte Fire, the 2017 North Bay Fires and the 2018 Camp Fire, which destroyed much of Paradise.
In December 2019 PG&E and the Tort Claimants Committee agreed to a $13.5 billion settlement for fire victims. The Trust then valued each claim on its own and issued a Determination Notice with an award. Because the money available was smaller than the total of all awards, the Trust paid everyone the same percentage of their award in rounds. That method is called pro rata.
In her August 24, 2026 letter the Trustee put it plainly: the Trust “was not a class action settlement,” and it distributed $14.28 billion in Trust assets to over 70,000 claimants.
Case details
The Trust comes from In re PG&E Corporation, Case No. 19-30088, a Chapter 11 case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California before Judge Dennis Montali. The court confirmed PG&E's plan of reorganization on June 20, 2020, and the Trust was funded on July 1, 2020 with $5.4 billion in cash plus PG&E stock.
The last money came from a separate state case. The Trust sued Davey Tree, a PG&E vegetation-management contractor, in San Francisco Superior Court. The claims were allegations, not findings. The Trust announced a written settlement on December 31, 2025. On June 26, 2026 Judge Jeffrey Ross found that all conditions for the settlement payment had been met, which started a 30-day window to pay a qualified settlement fund.
Two companies show up in claimants' mail. BrownGreer is the Trust's Claims Processor. Kroll is the claims and noticing agent in the bankruptcy, and the Trust says Kroll does not handle Fire Victim Trust claims.
Status: Final Payment Made, Pro Rata Payments Over
Searches for “fire victim trust next payment 2026”, “fire victim trust next payment 2026 dates” or a “fire victim trust update pro rata payment” all lead to the same answer. October 14, 2026 was the last date. No later round has been announced, and the Trustee says none will come.
The progress counter on FireVictimTrust.com, last updated October 14, 2026, shows $13.95 billion paid against $19.57 billion awarded. That is up from $13.72 billion as of August 31, 2026. It also shows 66,530 eligible claimants, of whom 66,171 (99%) have been paid. Our September 30 report on the final payment has the full background.
Who Gets the Final Payment
The final 1.25% goes only to people who already hold an accepted Fire Victim Trust award. The claims deadline was February 26, 2021, and new claims are not accepted.
You had to meet the Trust's payment conditions: an accepted Determination Notice, payment instructions on the Payment Election Form, a signed Form W-9, and both required releases. The release deadline was August 15, 2024. The Trust said claimants who missed it “will not receive any further distributions.” Petitions for minors and adults who cannot manage their own affairs were due December 16, 2024.
If you have a lawyer, the Trust pays your law firm, not you. The firm then pays you under your fee agreement. If the money has not reached you, ask the firm first.
How Much the Final Payment Is Worth
Example: on a $100,000 award, you had received $70,000 at 70%. The October 14 payment adds $1,250, for a total of $71,250. The other $28,750 will not be paid by the Trust. Across all awards, 28.75% goes unpaid.
What reaches you can be less. Your lawyer's fee comes out under your contract, and personal-injury awards can carry medical liens. The figure that matters is the Approved Claim Amount in your Determination Notice. The Trust does not publish a typical award, so any “average payout per person” you see is not an official number.
The missing 28.75% is a separate political fight. According to a KRCR report of August 18, 2026, supporters of California Assembly Bill 2700 want PG&E to cover the shortfall through the CPUC. The bill was not law as of that report, and it creates no claim form.
Fire Victim Trust Payment Timeline
November 8, 2018 — The Camp Fire
The Camp Fire destroys much of Paradise. PG&E later pays a criminal fine to Butte County for 84 counts of manslaughter. The trust also covers the 2015 Butte Fire and the 2017 North Bay Fires.
January 29, 2019 — PG&E Files for Bankruptcy
PG&E enters Chapter 11 (Case No. 19-30088). On December 1, 2019 it reaches a $13.5 billion settlement with the Tort Claimants Committee.
July 1, 2020 — The Trust Is Funded
After the plan is confirmed on June 20, 2020, the Trust receives $5.4 billion in cash plus PG&E stock. Claims Questionnaires close February 26, 2021.
March 2021 to October 2024 — Pro Rata Rises to 70%
Payments start at 30% on March 15, 2021, then rise to 45%, 60% and 66%. The 70% level takes effect October 24, 2024.
December 31, 2025 to September 10, 2026 — Davey Tree Money
The Trust settles its last lawsuit, against Davey Tree. Judge Jeffrey Ross clears the payment on June 26, 2026, and the Trustee confirms on September 10 that all funds are in.
October 14, 2026 — Final 1.25% Payment
The last pro rata payment brings every award to 71.25%. The Trustee says no more pro rata payments will follow.
Three Things to Watch For
A final payment that people have waited years for is exactly what scammers time their messages around:
“Release your final payment” emails
The Trust issued an alert on August 23, 2022 about spoofed emails and counterfeit checks aimed at claimants and lawyers. Check anything suspicious with the Claims Processor at 1-888-664-1152.
Offers to recover the missing 28.75%
The Trust says no more pro rata payments will follow. Assembly Bill 2700 was a proposal, not a claim program, as of August 2026. Anyone selling a sign-up for “the rest of your award” is selling something that does not exist.
Callers claiming to be Kroll or the court
Kroll is the bankruptcy noticing agent and, per the Trust, does not process Fire Victim Trust claims. The Trust's own channels are the phone line above and P.O. Box 25936, Richmond, VA 23260.
Fire Victim Trust Payments — Questions People Actually Ask
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this case.
When is the Fire Victim Trust's next payment in 2026?
There is no next payment. The final pro rata payment was scheduled for October 14, 2026, and the Trustee's September 10, 2026 letter says “there will be no additional pro rata distributions after this payment.”
How much will fire victims get?
Each eligible claimant ends at 71.25% of their own approved award, before attorney fees and any liens. The final round is $125 per $10,000 of award. The Trust has awarded $19.57 billion in total and, per its counter updated October 14, 2026, paid $13.95 billion.
Why did the Trust not pay 100%?
The Trust is a limited fund. Bankruptcy law and the Trust documents require every eligible claimant to get the same share of their award. The awards came to $19.57 billion, more than the money the Trust had. The Trust paid out more than the $13.5 billion originally expected, but not enough to cover the full awards.
I have not received the October 14 payment. What should I do?
If you have a lawyer, ask your law firm first, because the Trust pays represented claimants through their firm. If you have no lawyer, contact the Claims Processor at 1-888-664-1152 or Fire Victim Trust, P.O. Box 25936, Richmond, VA 23260, and confirm your address and payment details.
Can I still file a claim with the Fire Victim Trust?
No. The Claims Questionnaire deadline was February 26, 2021, and the release deadline was August 15, 2024. The Trust is winding down and says it will keep its data for ten years.
Is the Fire Victim Trust a class action?
No. The Trustee wrote on August 24, 2026 that it “was not a class action settlement.” Each claim was valued individually, and attorneys were paid under their own fee agreements with clients, not before their clients.
Does the Fire Victim Trust pay Maui, Los Angeles or other PG&E fire victims?
No. It covers only the 2015 Butte, 2017 North Bay and 2018 Camp fires. The Maui settlement is separate; see our Maui wildfire settlement page and the latest Maui payout update. For the Eaton Fire, see our SCE compensation program report. Other PG&E cases are on our PG&E lawsuit page.
Are Fire Victim Trust payments taxable?
The Trust does not give tax advice. In December 2024 the Trustee welcomed the signing of H.R. 5863, the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, which deals with the taxation of wildfire payments. Ask a tax professional how it applies to your award.
About This Information
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology. Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated - $236 billion in real payouts analyzed · See what we found
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Lawsuit status, eligibility, and compensation can change. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and does not represent any party. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
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