Although more than 100,000 California residents harmed by last year’s devastating wildfires are entitled to compensation by the utility company blamed for the blazes, less than half have filed claims, a court hearing revealed last week. That’s the prompting criticism that the company, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG

Left without a place to live, one of those victims, 22-year-old Jessie Messenger, moved to Oregon to live with her then-boyfriend and his relatives, putting her out of reach of the mass mailings and TV and radio ads by PG

In Messenger’s case, it was only because her ex’s grandparents reached out to her that she learned that she could file a claim with PG

“Whatever I get will be more than I have,” Messenger told CBS MoneyWatch. “Losing my mom at 19 was what I thought was going to be the extent of what would happen to me,” she added in relaying the deep emotional scar left by the experience of fleeing the flames with only a handful of clothes. 

“The fires that have started have caused a lot of anxiety,” said Messenger of wildfires currently burning in Northern California that have destroyed or damaged more than 100 structures. Pg

Lucito echoed the sentiment, describing how seeing a field burning will get her heart racing and conjure up reminders of baby photos and other irreplaceable items lost. “There’s good days and bad days,” she said.

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“It’s not that people didn’t have time, but that people don’t have the information and haven’t been reached,” said Mike Danko, an attorney who represents 6,000 victims of wildfires. “I have a few clients in FEMA camps and – I don’t want to say it – but it’s almost like zombies, where they are walled off from the whole process and disoriented because they’ve lost their homes and possessions and don’t have the community in which they were living.”

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Yet that hasn’t allayed concerns by the federal judge charged with determining how much PG

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U.S. Attorney Dennis Montali also chimed in, calling the situation “unacceptable” and ” heartbreaking,” according to the industry publication and an attorney who attended Monday’s hearing. Montal will rule in early November whether to extend the deadline. 

“Judge Montali has said the victims are the most important voice in the room. I think he’s likely to extend that deadline,” said Sarah Foss, a legal analyst at Debtwire.

Regardless of what the court decides, those harmed by the wildfires should still fill out a piece of paper stating so, she added. “If you believe you are owed any money at all, from a house, car, emotional distress or you had to move, you should file a claim, it’s not necessary to write out a legal pleading.”

Donato in February is expected to rule on how much the utility needs to set aside for a trust fund to compensate victims. Pg

Regardless of what the utility ultimately pays out, recovering from the wildfires is a long haul even for those who have had insurance and some money in the bank.

“We had 11 years left on our mortgage, and now we have another 30,” said Lucito, who has since purchased a new home with her husband, whom she did not marry long after losing all her property.

But Estes is able to find a silver lining, saying losing all their collective possessions helped the couple start out in an even more unified fashion.

“Before the fire, it was hers, mine and what we accumulated was ours – now it’s all ours,” he said.

The zuotes are delayed at least 15 minutes.

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