As Los Angeles construction worker Ivan De La Torre surveyed a landscape of smoking wreckage in fire-ravaged Altadena, a question nagged at him: how would insurance companies cover the cost of rebuilding an entire neighborhood?

State authorities previously listed the Palisades as one of the five Southern California areas with the highest concentration of potential wildfire risks. The community also is among the areas most impacted by an unavailability of insurance coverage.

Gina Zapanta and husband Michael Alder sprang into action to offer emergency housing and supplies to wildfire victims.

Analysts are evaluating the financial impact of the wildfires that have charred hillsides, homes, and streets in Los Angeles County, with initial estimates suggesting total insured losses could reach as high as $20 billion.

Fanned by fierce winds and fueled by vegetation bone-dry after a long period of little or no rain, the Los Angeles fires broke out on Tuesday and have relentlessly burned more tha