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(CNN)Here's some background information about wildfires.
Latest Wildfire Info:
Here is the most recent "National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook" from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Here is the most recent "National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook" from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Fires burn on a hill in Livermore, California, on Thursday, August 20. California has been battling numerous wildfires as its historic drought reaches a fourth year.
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The charred remains of a property is seen in Livermore on August 20.
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A firefighter climbs on the side of a hill while putting out hot spots in Livermore on August 20.
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Firefighter Mike Martel walks through smoke while working to clean up after a weekend fire that ravaged the Montebello Hills area near Los Angeles on Monday, August 17.
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Firefighters hose down the smoldering ruins of a building that was burned by the Warm Fire north of Castaic, California, on Sunday, August 16.
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A plane drops fire retardant on the Cabin Fire north of Asuza, California, on Saturday, August 15.
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A crew descends a scorched mountainside in the Angeles National Forest on August 15.
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A burn operation is seen during the Jerusalem Fire, near Lower Lake, California, on Friday, August 11.
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Flames from a backfire operation burn through a grove of trees as firefighters try to head off the Rocky Fire on Monday, August 3, near Clearlake, California.
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Firefighters look on as the Rocky Fire burns through trees on Sunday, August 2.
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A Cal Fire truck is driven away from flames as the Rocky Fire burns near Clearlake on August 2.
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Firefighters light backfires in an attempt to control the blaze near Clearlake on August 2.
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The Rocky Fire burns near Clearlake on August 2.
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Flames from the Rocky Fire burn through dry grass August 2 near Clearlake.
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Large plumes of smoke rise from the Rocky Fire on Saturday, August 1.
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A firefighting air tanker flies in front of the setting sun while battling the Rocky Fire on August 1.
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Heat marks are visible on an air-conditioning unit at a destroyed home in Lower Lake on August 1.
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Flames approach a house in Lower Lake on Friday, July 31.
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Firefighters spray a hose at a fire near Lower Lake on July 31.
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A firefighter prepares to douse spot fires in Lower Lake on July 31.
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As the Rocky Fire approaches, goats run from their pen after firefighters freed them on July 31.
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Trees and brush burn while firefighters battle the Wragg Fire near Winters, California, on Thursday, July 23. The fast-moving wildfire had scorched almost 7,000 acres in Napa and Sonoma counties, authorities said.
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A firefighting aircraft drops retardant on a ridge to combat the Wragg Fire on July 23.
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Flames from the Pines Fire burn on Saturday, July 18, in Wrightwood, California. The blaze was burning near Mount San Antonio, which is also called Mount Baldy for its snow-capped summit that's highly visible in Los Angeles.
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Slow-moving traffic fills the northbound lanes of Interstate 215 near Victorville, California, on Friday, July 17. The traffic was linked to the North Fire, which caused people to abandon their vehicles and flee as flames jumped the freeway.
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The North Fire burns July 17 near Interstate 15 in the Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County.
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Firefighters start a backfire along Baldy Mesa Road late on July 17.
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Smoke from a wildfire rises above Interstate 15 near San Bernardino, California, on July 17.
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The scorched remains of a truck destroyed by the North Fire are towed away near Victorville on July 17.
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A helicopter prepares to drop water over a fire near Oak Hills, California, on July 17.
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Flames rise over a cluster of homes in Oak Hills on July 17.
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About Wildfires:
Wildfires are sometimes called "wildland fires."
Wildfires are sometimes called "wildland fires."
Wildfires can originate from a dropped match, cigarette embers, campfires, exhaust sparks from a train, or arson.
Many wildland fires are ignited by lightning.
There are no official rules, but the first responders usually name a fire after a meadow, creek, city, or type of plant they see.
Wind, temperature, and humidity all influence wildfires. Strong winds push flames toward new fuel sources. Wind can pick up and transfer burning embers and sparks, starting "spot fires."
During the day, sunlight heats the ground and warm air rises, allowing hot air currents to travel up sloped landscapes. At night, the ground cools and air currents travel down the slopes.
Humidity dampens fuel, slowing the spread of flames. Humidity is greater at night, so fires usually burn less intensely then.
Large fires can create their own winds and weather, increasing their flow of oxygen.
A really large fire can generate hurricane-force winds, up to 120 mph. The high temperatures preheat fuels in the fire's path, preparing them to burn more readily.
Timeline of Firefighter Fatalities Associated With Wildland Fires (selected):
June 26, 1990 - Six firefighters (including four volunteers on a prison work crew) are killed in the Dude Fire in Tonto National Forest, northeast of Phoenix.
June 26, 1990 - Six firefighters (including four volunteers on a prison work crew) are killed in the Dude Fire in Tonto National Forest, northeast of Phoenix.
July 6, 1994 - Fourteen firefighters die in a wildfire at Storm King Mountain in the South Canyon Fire near Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
July 10, 2001 - Four firefighters die while taking shelter from the Thirtymile Fire north of Winthrop, Washington.
June 21, 2002 - Five firefighters die when the van they are riding in overturns not far from Parachute, Colorado, on the way to the Hayman Wildfire, southwest of Denver.
August 24, 2003 - Eight firefighters die when the van they are riding in crashes with a tractor-trailer west of Vale, Oregon. They were returning from fighting a wildfire in Boise National Forest, Idaho.
October 26, 2006 - Five firefighters die in an arson related wildfire in the San Jacinto Mountains, near Palm Springs, California.
August 5, 2008 - Seven firefighters are killed in a helicopter accident soon after taking off from the Buckhorn wildfire near Shasta Trinity National Forest, Northern California. (Three more died that month, but in other fires.)
June 30, 2013 - Nineteen firefighters are killed while fighting the Yarnell Hill wildfire, northwest of Phoenix.
US Fire Season Summary:
(National Interagency Fire Center)
2000
Fires: 92,250 Acres Burned: 7,393,493
2001
Fires: 84,079 Acres Burned: 3,570,911
2002
Fires: 73,457 Acres Burned: 7,184,712
2003
Fires: 63,629 Acres Burned: 3,960,842
2004
Fires: 65,461 Acres Burned: 8,097,880*
* 2004 fires and acres do not include state lands for North Carolina
2005
Fires: 66,753 Acres Burned: 8,689,389
2006
Fires: 96,385 Acres Burned: 9,873,745
2007
Fires: 85,705 Acres Burned: 9,328,045
2008
Fires: 78,979 Acres Burned: 5,292,468
2009
Fires: 78,792 Acres Burned: 5,921,786
2010
Fires: 71,971 Acres Burned: 3,422,724
2011
Fires: 74,126 Acres Burned: 8,711,367
2012
Fires: 67,774 Acres Burned: 9,326,238
2013
Fires: 47,579 Acres Burned: 4,319,546
2014
Fires: 63,312 Acres Burned: 3,595,613
2015
Fires: 68,151 Acres Burned: 10,125,149
2016
Fires: 67,743 Acres Burned: 5,509,995
(National Interagency Fire Center)
2000
Fires: 92,250 Acres Burned: 7,393,493
2001
Fires: 84,079 Acres Burned: 3,570,911
2002
Fires: 73,457 Acres Burned: 7,184,712
2003
Fires: 63,629 Acres Burned: 3,960,842
2004
Fires: 65,461 Acres Burned: 8,097,880*
* 2004 fires and acres do not include state lands for North Carolina
2005
Fires: 66,753 Acres Burned: 8,689,389
2006
Fires: 96,385 Acres Burned: 9,873,745
2007
Fires: 85,705 Acres Burned: 9,328,045
2008
Fires: 78,979 Acres Burned: 5,292,468
2009
Fires: 78,792 Acres Burned: 5,921,786
2010
Fires: 71,971 Acres Burned: 3,422,724
2011
Fires: 74,126 Acres Burned: 8,711,367
2012
Fires: 67,774 Acres Burned: 9,326,238
2013
Fires: 47,579 Acres Burned: 4,319,546
2014
Fires: 63,312 Acres Burned: 3,595,613
2015
Fires: 68,151 Acres Burned: 10,125,149
2016
Fires: 67,743 Acres Burned: 5,509,995
2017
Fires: 71,499 Acres Burned: 10,026,086
Fires: 71,499 Acres Burned: 10,026,086
Largest Wildland Fires Losses: 1991-2016 (not adjusted for inflation)
(Insurance Information Institute)
(Insurance Information Institute)
$1.7 billion - Oakland, California - October 1991
$1.3 billion - "Witch Fire" - San Diego, California - October 2007
$1.06 billion - "Cedar Fire" - Julian, California - October-November 2003
$975 million - "Old Fire" - San Bernardino, California - October-November 2003
$938 million - "Great Smoky Mountains Fire" - Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee - November 2016
$931 million - "Valley Fire" - Northern California - September 2015
$530 million - "Bastrop County Complex Fire" - Bastrop County , Texas - September 2011
$450 million - "Waldo Canyon Fire" - Colorado Springs, Colorado - June 2012
$375 million - "Topanga Fire" - Malibu, California - November 1993
$350 million - "Laguna Canyon Fire" - Orange County, California - October 1993
Structures Destroyed by Wildfires, by Year:
(National Interagency Coordination Center)
(National Interagency Coordination Center)
2010 - 788 structures destroyed: 338 residences, 445 outbuildings and five businesses. The annual average (since 1999) is 1,179 residences, 1,156 outbuildings and 42 businesses.
2011 - 5,246 structures destroyed: 3,459 residences, 1,711 outbuildings and 76 commercial structures. The annual average is 1,354 residences, 1,199 outbuildings and 45 commercial structures.
2012 - 4,244 structures destroyed: 2,216 residences, 1,961 outbuildings and 67 commercial structures. The annual average is 1,416 residences, 1,253 outbuildings and 46 commercial structures.
2013 - 2,135 structures destroyed: 1,093 residences, 945 outbuildings and 97 commercial structures. The annual average is 1,394 residences, 1,233 outbuildings and 50 commercial structures.
2014 - 1,953 structures destroyed: 1,038 residences, 874 minor structures, 20 commercial structures and 14 mixed commercial/residential structures. The annual average is 1,372 residences, 1,210 minor structures, and 49 commercial structures.
2015 - 4,636 structures destroyed: 2,638 residences, 29 multiple residences, 1,849 minor structures, 111 commercial structures and nine mixed commercial/residential structures. The annual average is 1,449 residences, 1,248 minor structures, and 53 commercial structures.
2016 - 4,312 structures were destroyed: 3,192 residences, 1,025 minor structures, 78 commercial structures and 17 mixed commercial/residential structures. The annual average (since 2015) is 1,449 residences, 1,248 minor structures, and 53 commercial structures.
2017 - 12,306 structures were destroyed: 8,065 residences, 4,002 minor structures, 229 commercial structures and 10 mixed commercial/residential structures. The annual average (since 2016) is 1,545 residences, 1,236 minor structures, and 55 commercial structures.
Photos: Wildfires in Washington state
Firefighters from Jackson, Mississippi, stand with hands and helmets over their hearts on Thursday, August 20, as they watch a motorcade carrying the bodies of firefighters who were killed a day earlier while fighting a wildfire in Twisp, Washington. Authorities said three firefighters died after their vehicle crashed and was apparently caught by a "hellstorm" of flames as they battled the blaze.
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Photos: Wildfires in Washington state
A tanker drops fire retardant on a wildfire that flared up in Twisp on August 20. More than 100 wildfires were roaring throughout the state, according to Gov. Jay Inslee. "I want to say this is an unprecedented cataclysm in our state," Inslee said. "There are 390,000 acres burning. Last year was bad with 250,000 acres."
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Photos: Wildfires in Washington state
A crew leader talks to his firefighters about their plans to attack a fire burning in Twisp on August 20.
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Photos: Wildfires in Washington state
Firefighters battle a wildfire on a hillside in Twisp on August 20.
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Photos: Wildfires in Washington state
A wildfire burns behind a home in Twisp on August 20.
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