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2018 Was a Year of Deadly Wildfires — Likely the New Normal

"Our fire seasons are becoming fire years"

This year brought wildfires from California to Sweden that were notable not just for their size but proximity to cities and death toll, experts told NBC News.

The so-called Camp Fire in November was California's most destructive on record, killing nearly 90 people. While there were U.S. fewer fires in 2018 compared to the annual average over the last 10 years, a far greater area was destroyed than normal, according to Carrie Bilbao, a spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center.

She and Omar Baddour, chief of climate data for the World Meteorological Organization, said fires are increasingly cropping up in the traditional off-season, giving firefighters little reprieve.

"Our fire seasons are becoming fire years," Bilbao said.

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