Although there are natural causes of wildfires, such as lightning strikes, most of them are started by people. Because of high temperatures and dry conditions, they rapidly grow out of control. So far, this year has been exceptional in a number of locations across the world.
At least 17 people have died and 163 people injured in deep mudslides in Southern California, which were triggered by heavy rains. A number of people are still unaccounted for.
Mud and boulders the size of small cars shut rolled done hillsides blocking more than 30 miles of main roads in parts of Santa Barbara. In Montecito some homes were knocked off their foundations, with 100 destroyed and 300 damaged, whilst in Burbank mud swept away vehicles.
The 2017 California wildfire season has been the most destructive and one of the costliest on record (predicted to cost at least $180 billion dollars), with multiple wildfires burning across California. So far, more than 8,750 fires have burned an area of over 5,500 square kilometres.
