Disaster Profile

In California, where wildfire season (historically May through October) is a natural part of the landscape, the season has started earlier and finished later in recent years. The wildfires have increased in size eightfold since the 1970s, and the annual burned area has grown by nearly 500%. The climate crisis is considered one of the key drivers of this trend, with high temperatures and droughts causing dry vegetation and dead trees, which are more susceptible to severe wildfires. 

On November 8, 2018, the Camp Fire overtook the town of Paradise in California and was extinguished 2 weeks later. The 153,336 acre Camp Fire was not nearly the largest wildfire in California’s history but it was named the deadliest, leading to 85 deaths. An estimated 18,800 structures destroyed with 14,000 of them being homes, totaling $8.4 billion of insurance loss. As of January 2023, about 1,741 of the 14,000 homes destroyed have been rebuilt, and the community remains at risk of future wildfires.