As Los Angeles' deadly wildfires continue to burn, a group of survivors is taking aim at the industry most responsible for exacerbating climate disaster: fossil fuels.

Residents affected by the fires lamented the loss of their homes and communities in a conference call Thursday and called for lawsuits and policies to force major oil companies to pay for the damage. In the coming days, lawmakers will introduce legislation with this goal.

"It's hard to express exactly how much damage there is," said Danielle Havanas, whose home was destroyed by the Palisades Fire last week. “How do you convey the value of the diary your late mother wrote while she was pregnant with you in 1981?”

Scientists are still trying to determine the extent to which the climate crisis is exacerbating the ongoing fires in Los Angeles, but existing research suggests global warming is creating conditions for more severe and frequent fires. UCLA climate scientists determined this week that the climate crisis may be to blame for a quarter of the drought that is causing fires to spread rapidly.

Sam James of Altadena, a community devastated by the Eaton Fire this month, said her grandfather's home was destroyed in the disaster. James said many black families in the area were beginning to build intergenerational wealth for the first time, but the fires destroyed much of that progress.

The community is trying to rebuild. But "we shouldn't keep blaming Big Oil for the consequences of their negligence," James said.

"They must take responsibility for the harm they have caused, provide compensation to affected communities who have lost their homes and businesses, and take immediate steps to mitigate further damage," she said.

There is growing evidence that Big Oil has known for decades that their products contribute to the climate crisis, yet continued to peddle them to the public and sow skepticism about global warming.

Several cities and states, including California, have filed lawsuits seeking to hold oil companies accountable for the alleged disinformation campaign and force them to pay damages.

Vermont and New York recently passed “climate Superfund” bills requiring oil majors to fund climate action.

California considered a similar bill last year. During a conference call Thursday, Clara Vondrich, senior policy adviser at the consumer advocacy nonprofit Public Citizen, said lawmakers would roll out a new version in the coming days.

"We are already paying the price for Big Oil's climate damage, not just with money, but with our lives, so that's why we need our own climate Superfund bill," she said.

Aaron Regunberg, director of Public Citizen, described another plan to hold Big Oil accountable for climate deception: filing criminal charges. The idea has piqued the interest of government officials and prosecutors, The Guardian reported last year.

Regenberg said local litigation and policy will be especially important during former Donald Trump's second term.

"Donald Trump has made it very clear that his allegiance is to Big Oil," he said.

Climate activists from the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led group, also staged a protest at an oil facility owned by Phillips 66 on Thursday to call for industry accountability.

“Fossil fuel CEOs are responsible for the destruction happening in Los Angeles right now,” said 18-year-old protester Simon Aron.