‘We got really lucky’: Why California escaped another destructive fire season in 2022
Smoke billows from the ruins of the Napa wine country winery as part of the Woolsey Fire.
The Woolsey Fire started on the edge of a wine country vineyard on December 8, 2018.
Fire burns an area of dry brush in the Napa Valley on December 28, 2018.
Marilyn J. Sanchez / AP
A burned car sits in the driveway of the Napa Valley Winery in Santa Rosa, California, on March 7, 2019.
Jim Gensheimer / AP
The Santa Rosa Fire burns on a dry grassy burn area in the Santa Rosa area of the Napa Valley on March 18, 2019.
Courtesy of Santa Rosa Fire/Facebook)
Napa wine country was hit on Wednesday by one of the most destructive fires ever recorded in California.
The fire, named the Woolsey Fire, destroyed at least 16 structures, including the Napa Valley wine country winery where it started on the edge of a small winery — Napa Valley Winery.
But California is not the only place experiencing a dangerous wildfire season.
Here are some other examples of wildfire seasons that destroyed homes:
2019: Southern California fires
While most of the deadliest wildland blazes in California this year were in wine country, they began in the dry hills of the coastal regions that surround Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
By the end of the month, nearly 1,300 homes had been destroyed by the winds and flames. In Los Angeles County, the blaze destroyed 13,000 homes.
Aerial shots from the Woolsey Fire. CBS News
The Woolsey Fire ignited on December 14, just south of Los Angeles County in Santa Barbara County, a town with a population of under 60,000 — the second-most in California, behind the Bay Area.
The region was mostly rural and had been considered fire-free for six years.
The fire grew out of dry grass and brush that had been cleared for a housing development.
The blaze destroyed homes, a church, two schools, several wineries and commercial businesses, and threatened 2,700 structures.
As of Wednesday morning, the fire was 51% contained but spread to more than