A home burning down due to a wildfire will generally be covered up to the insured amount minus depreciation under dwelling coverage, belongings will be covered under personal property coverage, and the cost of relocating temporarily may be covered by loss of use coverage, he adds.

I have friends who lost houses. I have family who were burned out of their home. Los Angeles has lost churches, synagogues, and architecture that are part of our collective history—not just architectural gems, but civic hubs and touchstones for communal memory.

The wildfires that destroyed homes in multiple sections of the Los Angeles area will test California’s efforts to stabilize the state’s insurance marketplace after many insurers stopped issuing residential policies due to the high fire risk.

John Hope Bryant writes about how the solutions—creative, bold, and compassionate—to this devastating crisis are in our hands.

No stranger to natural disasters, Pasadena resident Pedro Rojas keeps a safety bag in his car with essentials like a jacket, gloves and running shoes in case he needs to flee at a moment’s notice.