‘We got really lucky’: Why California escaped another destructive fire season in 2022
The smoke from wildfires on California’s northern and central coast burned out of control for 13 hours on Saturday as the first fire season in 11 years closed in on the state from the Pacific to the Rockies.
The historic wildfire season closed on Monday, capping a year with more than a dozen major wildfires that burned more than 20 million acres in Northern and Southern California.
“I’ve never been through a fire season that bad in my life so far,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a press conference Monday. “I was there with the fire crews on Friday, and it was like it was being swallowed up by the flames.”
The season was highlighted by at least two major fires raging for days with no signs of slowing down: one in Sonoma County, where nearly 10,000 structures went under at least some level of fire damage, and another in Northern California’s Tehama County, where nearly 200 structures were destroyed with 20 more threatened by wildfire.
Here are some of the most costly — and deadliest — fires of the year:
The most expensive — and deadliest — fire in US history is the Thomas fire, which erupted on Oct. 6 in Ventura County, California
The most expensive — and deadliest — fire in US history is the Thomas fire, which erupted on Oct. 6 in Ventura County, California
Firefighters are helping to contain the Thomas fire that erupted on the morning of Saturday Oct. 6 in Ventura County, California. (Associated Press)
The most expensive — and deadliest — fire in US history is the Thomas fire, which erupted on Oct. 6 in Ventura County, California.
The Thomas fire is the most costly in state history, with its $10 billion in losses and more than 150 deaths. It is the deadliest, with 19 deaths, on record.
Officials are still trying to determine the cause, but they suspect dry lightning sparked a brushfire that swept through the Los Padres National Forest in the early morning hours and quickly grew in size.
The fire that ignited in the Los Padres National Forest, destroyed more than 80 structures, including homes, cabins and a daycare center.
The Thomas fire erupted Saturday early in the morning in the Los Padres National Forest. (Karen Bleier/Associated Press)
The Thomas fire is the most costly in
