2018 California Wildfires

The 2018 wildfire season in California has been one of the most destructive on record. During 2018, a total of 7,579 fires had burned an area of 1,667,855 acres (6,749.57 km²), the largest amount of burned acreage recorded in a California fire season, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the National Interagency Fire Center, as of November 11. The fires caused over 2.975 billion (2018 USD) in damages, including $1.366 billion in fire suppression costs. Through the end of August 2018, Cal Fire alone spent $432 million on operations. The Mendocino Complex Fire burned more than 459,000 acres (1,860 km²), becoming the largest complex fire in the state's history, with the complex's Ranch Fire surpassing the Thomas Fire and the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889 to become California's single-largest recorded wildfire.

In mid-July to August 2018, a series of large wildfires erupted across California, mostly in the northern part of the state, including the destructive Carr Fire and the Mendocino Complex Fire. On August 4, 2018, a national disaster was declared in Northern California, due to the massive wildfires burning there.

In November 2018, foehn winds caused another round of large, destructive fires to erupt across the state. This new batch of wildfires includes the Woolsey Fire and Camp Fire, the latter of which has thus far killed 42 people and destroyed more than 7,177 structures, becoming both California's deadliest and most destructive wildfire on record.

Air Quality

Northern California and the Central Valley saw drastic increases in air pollutants during the height of the July and August fires, while Southern California also experienced an increase in air pollution in August. Air quality in Northern and Central California remained poor until mid-September 2018, when fire activity was drastically diminished.

Fatalities

On June 4, the Panoche Fire broke out, in a series of three blazes that started in the San Benito County area. While the Panoche incident was the smallest of the three fires, burning only 64 acres (26 ha), the remains of three people were found in a destroyed camping trailer in the burn area. The remains were believed to belong to a mother, a toddler, and an infant.

On July 14, a Cal Fire bulldozer operator was killed while fighting the Ferguson Fire, becoming the first firefighter death of the season.

On July 23, the Carr Fire broke out after a vehicle malfunctioned. While the Carr Fire burned in rural areas of Shasta County for the first few days, it crossed the Sacramento River and entered the city limits of Redding, California on the evening of July 26. By the next morning, 2 firefighters and 4 civilians had been killed. By the afternoon of July 29, there were 7 people still unaccounted for.

On July 29, a firefighter with the National Park Service was killed after a dead tree fell and struck him, while he was fighting the Ferguson Fire. He was "treated on scene, but died before he could be taken to the hospital".

On August 4, a PG&E employee was killed in a vehicle incident while working to restore services to areas impacted by the Carr Fire.

On August 9, a CAL Fire heavy equipment mechanic was killed in a traffic incident while working at the Carr Fire.

On August 13, a firefighter was killed while fighting the Mendocino Complex Fire.

On November 9, 2018, at least 42 civilians were killed by the Camp Fire, while three firefighters were injured, and the fire also destroyed more than 6,700 structures, becoming the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history. Two people also died during the Woolsey Fire near Malibu.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_California_wildfires