For 750,000 people affected by Southern California wildfires, the state has blocked insurance companies from dropping or refusing to renew their coverage — issuing a one-year moratorium to stop this from happening across four counties.

The snow-blanketed peaks, fishing holes and cool alpine air of the San Bernardino Mountains have beckoned Southern Californians for generations. As far back as the 1880s, travelers braved a 6,000-foot climb in horse-drawn carriages to reach the pine forests that now surround the resort towns of Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear.

Smoke from the huge blazes is polluting the air in Southern California, putting residents at risk of exposure.