State Farm is facing a rising tide of new scrutiny amid wildfires ripping through whole communities in Los Angeles. The insurer ended coverage for thousands of homes in the Pacific Palisades months before the disaster ruthlessly claimed swaths of homes,

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.

The first sign of worry for many was thick smoke blowing down from the hills of the affluent Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, which borders Santa Monica and the famous Malibu coast. LA residents are accustomed to wildfires but the Palisades fire spread rapidly out of control.