The Insurance Information Network of California issued the preliminary estimate of insured losses resulting from 11 fires burning in Southern California from Los Angeles County to the Mexican border, the Insurance Journal reported Tuesday.

"Using historical data as guideposts, we know that the current fires will exceed those of the Laguna and the Topanga-Malibu areas of 1993," said Candysse Miller, IINC executive director.

In the Laguna fire, 441 structures were lost, resulting in $350 million in insured losses, she said. In Topanga-Malibu, 323 buildings and homes were destroyed, resulting in $375 million in insured losses.

Don Windeler, director of model management for Risk Management Solutions, said wet winters several years ago spawned brush growth, but a drier 2007 turned that growth into potential tinder.

"This is a pretty dangerous fire overall. It's hardly a surprise, if you look at the combination of conditions -- significant Santa Ana winds that are especially fierce in terms of overall wind speed, in combination with a lot of fuel that's available," Windeler said.