Jan 23 (Reuters) - Catastrophe risk modeling firm KCC is

estimating insured losses of about $28 billion from the Los

Angeles wildfires, making them the costliest wildfires in U.S.

history.

Since the fires broke out on Jan. 7, they have burned an

area nearly the size of Washington, D.C., killed 28 people and

damaged or destroyed nearly 16,000 structures, according to

California's fire department.

U.S. as well as European insurers are expected to face

catastrophe-related claims worth billions of dollars from the

disaster.

The estimated losses include damage from the fires, as well

as smoke, time-element losses for residents in evacuation zones

whose homes were not damaged by the fire, guaranteed replacement

cost coverage and demand surge, KCC said in its report.

These losses should be covered by typical insurance

policies, it added.

Insurers have been hit hard by rising catastrophe claims

from several wildfires and other natural disasters over the past

couple of years.

The Palisades Fire burned nearly 24,000 acres across the

Santa Monica Mountains and the towns of Pacific Palisades and

Eastern Malibu. The Eaton Fire burned over 14,000 acres across

the Angeles National Forest and the towns of Altadena and Sierra

Madre.

On Wednesday, Verisk also estimated losses to range between

$28 billion to $35 billion from the fire.