Learn the facts about devastating wildfires

Editor’s note: This article is being shared in honor of National Fire Prevention Month.

Deadly wildfires ravaged thousands upon thousands of acres of land across California in the summer of 2018. Officials at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said these combined fires comprised the largest wildlands fire in state history. Frightening images of blazes consuming landscapes dominated newscasts as thousands of people were forced to evacuate.

Wildfires torch everything in their paths, devastating communities, businesses and natural resources. Outbreaks seems to come out of nowhere, and meteorologists are not yet able to forecast when wildfires may occur.