How often do fires happen in California?

Answer 1

Wildfires in Southern California happen as often as conditions permit, really. There are usually brushfires every year, but 90 percent of the time they only burn a few hundred or couple thousand acres per fire, and most do not threaten homes. It is the big fires, fueled by fierce winds that tend to threaten homes. Remember that most wildfires start with a heat source such as the sun or someone committing arson, and are then fueled by low humidity and high wind. For an in-depth article on how wildfires work, visit: http://science.howstuffworks.com/wildfire.htm

Answer 2

The Santa Ana winds are hot, dry winds that aggravate the fire danger in forests and bush lands. These winds characteristically appear in Southern California and Northern Baja California weather during autumn and early winter. In southern California, under the influence of Santa Ana winds, wildfires can move at tremendous speeds, up to 40 miles in a single day, consuming up to 1,000 acres per hour. Dense clouds of burning embers push ahead of the flames crossing firebreaks without a problem.

Answer 3

Fire tornadoes do not happen very often in southern California.