The Los Angeles wildfires, which have reduced entire neighborhoods to smoldering ruins and left an apocalyptic landscape, could become the costliest wildfires in U.S. history in terms of insured losses if analysts' estimates of up to $20 billion materialize.

Economic losses and damage are an estimated $135 billion and $150 billion, the costliest fire event in US history. Hurricane Helene in six states last fall caused up to $250 billion in damage.

The California wildfires could be the costliest disaster in US history, the state’s governor said, as forecasts of heavy winds raised fears that the catastrophic fires would spread further. In remarks to NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday,