California has been plagued by wildfires over the past few months, and overnight, flames reached deadly proportions in Ventura County. The ongoing disaster highlights the danger and science of wildfires, the conditions that help lead to them, and the increasing risks in a changing climate.

The Ventura County Fire Department describes the current blaze as fast-moving and difficult to contain—as many such wildfires are. In only a few hours, the blaze was able to cover 48 square miles, destroy 150 structures, and leave one dead. Ventura County sits just an hour's drive north from central Los Angeles. As the flames continue to grow, thousands are facing evacuations.

It's a situation the state has faced all too often in