As multiple wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area, some residents have gone to great lengths — and often great expense — to try to shield their homes from destruction.

Nonprofit groups are working to distribute essential supplies to those impacted by the fires across the Los Angeles area.

Major fires across Los Angeles this week have killed at least five people, forced 180,000 to flee their homes, and destroyed thousands of structures.

In 2019, the number of homeowners’ policies in California that were not renewed jumped by more than thirty per cent. In 2023, two giant insurers, State Farm and Allstate, announced that they would stop writing new policies for various forms of property insurance in California.

The Los Angeles wildfires could threaten California’s already unstable insurance market, which carriers have been fleeing as disasters multiply.

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a one-year moratorium that protects homeowners' insurance if they live in the areas impacted by wildfires.