The wildfires that erupted this week across Los Angeles County are far from contained, but they're already expected to be the costliest in U.S. history and among the worst natural disasters.

With strong winds, dry conditions and no immediate end in sight, analysts project total economic losses of $50 billion to $150 billion.

The wildfires tearing through massive swaths of the Los Angeles area will likely prove to be California’s most costly natural disaster on record, according to estimates from analysts. It could also become one of the most costly in the U.