Blazes gutted Napa Valley in October, killing more than 40 people in the state's deadliest wildfire streak.
Just weeks later, the hills near Los Angeles broke out in flames. Highways were transformed into a hot hellscape, fueled by dry, hot weather and powerful Santa Ana winds.
Farm fields were devastated: worried avocado growers huddled for an emergency meeting in late December, and lemon growers told the New York Times that the fires will be a "game changer" for business. In Napa, winemakers are still tallying the damage to their burnt vines.
The state spent $505 million fighting wildfires in 2017, more than ten times what it spent on blazes 20 years ago.
But Americans weren't the only ones hit hard by big fires: In January, Chile saw its worst wildfires in the country's history, and Portugal set a new record, too. Longer, more intense wildfire seasons are one of the consequences of climate change.