Why California Is Burning In The Middle Of December

CALIFORNIA -- A late-season wildfire has caused many to wonder how California could be burning in the middle of December. Forecasters with Accuweather said all could be pointed to the state's weather pattern this year.

In a blog post, the weather forecasting company said "the year started out historically wet across the state, causing an abundance of new vegetation. This vegetation dried out during the hot and dry summer season," which have "provided more dry fuels than normal."

The erratic Santa Ana winds have also fueled the fires, especially the Thomas Fire, which is still burning in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties 16 days after it began.

“With Santa Ana wind events usually peaking late in the year, the combination of this, new vegetation from earlier in the year and the dry start to the rainy season have all led to dangerous fire conditions extending into December,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Jordan Root in the blog post.

Accuweather said prior to this year, there have only been eight fires in December from 2000 to 2015 in California.

At least six major wildfires burned through Southern California this month, killing one CalFire firefighter. Earlier this year, four other major wildfires burned through Northern California. Forty-four people died in those fires.

--Photo: Firefighters light backfire while trying to keep a wildfire from jumping Santa Ana Road near Ventura, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Also See:

Thomas Fire Second Largest In CA History At 272,000 Acres

Santa Barbara Zoo Evacuates Animals As Wildfire Continues To Burn

SoCal Edison Investigated For Its Possible Role In CA Wildfires

CA Firefighter Killed From Smoke Inhalation, Burns: Coroner

Over $175000 Raised For Family Of Fallen San Diego Firefighter

Southern California Edison Sued As Deadly Fire Rages On

Also See: The Thomas Fire is About to be the Biggest Wildfire in California History