The summer 2008 California wildfires, collectively dubbed the Northern California Lightning Series by CAL FIRE, were a concentrated outbreak of wildfires during the summer of 2008. Over 2,780 individual fires were burning at the height of the period, burning large portions of forests and chaparral in California, and killing 23 individuals. The majority of the fires were started by lightning from dry thunderstorms on June 20, although some earlier fires were started on May 22. International aid from Greece, Cyprus, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Mexico and New Zealand helped fight the fires.
The Basin/Indians fire in the Ventana Wilderness became the third largest in California history based on size and the second costliest to put out in U.S. history.
Read more about Summer 2008 California Wildfires: Weather, Contributing Factors, Fire History, Air Quality, See Also
Famous quotes containing the words summer and/or california:
“The prairies were dust. Day after day, summer after summer, the scorching winds blew the dust and the sun was brassy in a yellow sky. Crop after crop failed. Again and again the barren land must be mortgaged for taxes and food and next year’s seed. The agony of hope ended when there was not harvest and no more credit, no money to pay interest and taxes; the banker took the land. Then the bank failed.”
—Rose Wilder Lane (1886–1968)
“The apparent ease of California life is an illusion, and those who believe the illusion will live here in only the most temporary way.”
—Joan Didion (b. 1935)