Why the West Burns

How policy choices are fueling more severe fires

In January 2025, Ted Koerner stood in what used to be his Altadena living room, staring at two brick chimneys rising from ash. His home was gone. So was most of his neighborhood. At 67, he faced a choice: wait for insurance payouts that might not come for months, or act now.

Koerner liquidated 80% of his retirement savings and started rebuilding immediat…