This story was first published by CalMatters — a partner in the national States Newsroom network. As climate change warms the planet, wildfires have become so unpredictable and extreme that new words were invented: firenado,

Industry officials warn of widespread economic damage on par with some of the biggest fire disasters in recent memory.

Even before this week's wildfires in Los Angeles County, California was in the middle of an insurance crisis spurred by the threat of intensifying wildfires and other extreme weather events. Since 2022,

Early estimates show that the total damage and economic loss due to the Los Angeles wildfires could be between $60 billion and $130 billion.

None of the Los Angeles County fires that have killed at least 10 people are among California's 20 largest wildfires, but they're among the most destructive on record as they burned more structures overnight.