Insured losses from recent California wildfires amount to almost $US12 billion ($15 billion), setting a record for the state.

California Department of Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones says nearly 45,000 claims were submitted to insurers.

Fires in October and December destroyed or damaged more than 32,000 homes and 4300 businesses.

“The fires were unprecedented for their severity and disastrous consequences,” Mr Jones said. “Whole neighbourhoods were wiped out as wind-driven flames destroyed thousands of homes, upended tens of thousands of residents’ lives and, tragically, killed more than 45 people across the state.”

He took the unprecedented step of telling insurers to waive the requirement for policyholders to submit home inventory lists in their claim applications.