Updated Nov 15, 2018 - Energy & Climate
How this year's wildfire season compares to past years
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At least 8.5 million acres have been torched by wildfires so far this year across the United States, according to data from the National Interagency Coordination Center — about 2.1 million acres above the 10-year average of 6.3 million acres burned by this point in the year. California has been particularly hard hit.
The big picture: California's Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in the state's history, has burned more than 140,000 acres so far and claimed at least 56 lives. It was only 40% contained as of Thursday morning. It's already historic in both its size and destructiveness, having burned over 8,500 homes.
- California's fire siege has resulted from a combination of one of the state's hottest years on record, combined with extraordinarily dry vegetation along with frequent bouts of strong winds.
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