With aerial firefighting returning as strong Southern California winds died down for a bit, damage assessments from a handful of destructive Los Angeles area blazes are sure to become clearer—likely pushing up billion-dollar-plus insured loss estimates put forth from fires that are only three days old.
What isn’t clear is the air, which is thick with choking smoke in areas throughout Southern California. Also unclear is just how many homes have been lost and the magnitude of insured losses. Insured loss estimates currently range from $8 to $20 billion.
Reports on the number of structures burned continue to rise too quickly to put out an accurate count that lasts beyond a quick read. Early Thursday reports stated more than 1,300 structures were reported to have burned, and by mid-morning Pacific Time there were reports that more than 2,000 structures in the Pacific Palisades fire alone have been destroyed.
Related: California Wildfires Will Likely Lead to Large Economic and Insured Losses
Thousands more structures are threatened by at least five fires across the bone-dry area, which hasn’t received any large rainstorms since the spring and early summer of 2024.
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