Around 8 p.m. on Saturday, as Debbie Collins was leaving her neighboring business, Ms. Dragon Print & Copy, she saw the toppled bricks, once an exterior wall, scattered onto the street.

Altadena’s Grocery Outlet is a neighborhood market, but has become a kind of town square, too vital to close, residents say.

SCE is repairing and rebuilding damaged infrastructure in Altadena and Malibu, with a focus on safety inspections and community coordination. The utility plans to invest $6.2 billion over three years ...