This story originally appeared on High Country News and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
In Southern California, December wildfires are somewhat uncommon but not completely out of the norm. And this year, extremely dry conditions and strong Santa Ana winds created the perfect recipe for dangerous late-year fires.
On the night of December 9, the Franklin Fire sparked in the hills above Malibu, tearing through about 3,000 acres in just 24 hours. As of midday December 12, the fire was less than 10 percent contained, burning just over 4,000 acres and destroying at least seven structures.
Last month,