As we watch the horror of the Los Angeles fires, Australians are painfully reminded of our own vulnerability to climate change, which continues to exacerbate the impact and frequency of these unnatural disasters. The images of loss and destruction in LA are particularly painful to those who have experienced such losses first-hand in Australia. But our vulnerability has another dimension that has been brought to light by LA’s story, as a tale unfolds of those who were unable to renew their insurance cover – at any price – as well as the potential failure of a last-resort government insurance scheme.