29 Fires

We all know that California is prone to wildfires. The hot Santa Ana winds stir up trouble every single year. Some years are worse than others due to dryer conditions. The year 2017 was one of those years. That year, in December, a series of 29 wildfires broke out across Southern California. Six of these fires escalated into major incidents, prompting extensive evacuations and significant property damage. The fires collectively incinerated more than 307,900 acres, leading to traffic jams, school shutdowns, dangerous air quality, and electricity blackouts, with over 230,000 individuals forced to evacuate. The Thomas Fire quickly grew to 281,893 acres, setting the record as the largest wildfire in contemporary California history, a record that stood until the Ranch Fire in the Mendocino Complex exceeded it the next year.

On December 5th, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, followed by San Diego County on December 7th. President Donald Trump went on to declare a State of Emergency for California on December 8th. The situation was already heading for a disaster, and these resources were going to be badly needed. The swarm of wildfires was intensified by exceptionally strong and persistent Santa Ana winds, coupled with abundant dry vegetation due to an unusually parched rainy season to that date. These fires also marked the culmination of an extraordinarily active and damaging wildfire season, resulting in at least $3.5 billion in damages, as well as, $2.2 billion in insured losses and $300 million in fire suppression expenses.

The initial report of the fire came in at 6:26pm on December 4th, just north of Santa Paula, close to Steckel Park and Thomas Aquinas College. The winds quickly pushed the blaze until it covered 12 miles of rural terrain into Ventura city. Within a few hours, it had destroyed nearly 500 homes, engulfing 50,000 acres. In the following days, it progressed toward Ojai, crossing Highway 33 and the Ventura River, reaching the Rincon Oil Field area. By December 8th, the Thomas Fire had expanded to 143,000 acres, with containment at only 10%, and the cost of battling the blaze was estimated to be at least $17 million. By the evening of December 10th, the Thomas Fire had expanded to 230,000 acres, now ranking as the fifth-largest wildfire in the modern history of California and the largest to occur in the state during December. It was moving so fast…at times, spreading at a rate exceeding one acre per second. It destroyed a minimum of 794 structures, damaged another 187, and incurred a fighting cost of at least $38.4 million, placing it among the top ten most destructive wildfires in California’s history. By the early hours of December 11th, the Thomas Fire had increased to 230,500 acres, with containment efforts reaching 15%. On December 13th, the Thomas Fire’s northwestern and southwestern flanks merged east of Carpinteria, covering an area that includes Ojai and Lake Casitas. By the early hours of December 16th, the fire had grown to 259,000 acres, with 40% containment, now overtaking the Rim Fire as the third-largest wildfire in California’s history. By December 19th, the Thomas Fire had expanded to 272,000 acres, with 55% containment, becoming the second-largest wildfire in the state’s modern history. On the evening of December 22nd, the Thomas Fire grew to 273,400 acres, reaching 65% containment and surpassing the Cedar Fire of 2003, making it California’s largest recorded wildfire. By December 24th, the fire had expanded to 281,620 acres, which was largely due to a back-burning operation merging into the fire’s northwestern flank, although the containment of the fire also rose to 86%.

Then, on January 8–9, 2018, what might have seemed like blessing…a winter storm hit California, causing heavy rainfall in Southern California and leading to mandatory evacuations in parts of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties due to the risk of mudslides in wildfire-affected areas. The storm resulted in at least four inches of rain, triggering numerous significant mudflows. On January 12, 2018, the US Forest Service announced that the Thomas Fire was 100 percent contained, covering 281,893 acres. Nevertheless, officials from Los Padres National Forest kept watch over the Thomas Fire’s burn area for any remaining hotspots. By March 22, 2018, InciWeb reported the Thomas Fire as inactive and stopped updates. Nevertheless, they kept a vigil, before finally, officially declaring the fire extinguished on June 1, 2018, following over two months without any detected hotspots within the burn area’s boundaries.

In addition to the Thomas fire, 28 other fires raged across the area during that period. Causes of the fires varied, from lightning to illegal cook fires to arson. Roads and interstates had to be closed, and areas evacuated. The wildfires of December 2017 devastated vast tracts of land, leading to significant property damage. Moreover, they compelled the evacuation of over 230,000 residents from their homes. The Thomas Fire claimed the lives of two individuals: Virginia Pesola, a 70-year-old civilian from Santa Paula, and Cory Iverson, a firefighter engaged in combatting the blaze. “This is a tragic reminder of the dangerous work that our firefighters do every day,” stated Teresa Benson, Los Padres National Forest Supervisor, in a press release. “The Thomas Fire presents many unprecedented conditions and complexities, adding to the already challenging task of fire suppression.” The wildfires led to the destruction of vast areas of forest. The absence of tree roots, which normally help bind the soil, resulted in decreased ground stability, making the terrain susceptible to mudslides during heavy rainfall. In early January 2018, forecasts of significant rain for the American Southwest prompted the issuance of flash flood warnings and evacuation orders for parts of California that were impacted by the wildfires. In all 45 civilians and 2 firefighters lost their lives in these 29 fires. In addition, 199 civilians and 12 firefighters were injured, and 10,280 structures were destroyed.