Southern California Edison announced this week that it will create a program to compensate victims of January’s devastating Eaton Fire near Los Angeles, even as the cause of the blaze that killed 19 people remains under investigation.

Lawyers at the California Fire Victims Law Center argue that the fund is designed to minimize payouts for those impacted by the wildfire, while Edison maintains that filing direct claims will help victims avoid a drawn-out and costly litigation process.

The Eaton Fire’s cause is still under investigation, but Southern California Edison is planning to launch a fund to compensate those affected. Survivors say the utility is trying to “buy us off.”