In August 2020 in the midst of a punishing heat wave, lightning struck California almost

12,000 times, igniting fires all across the state.

And so 23 major fires, Governor Gavin Newsom said he had called in the National Guard.

We declared a statewide emergency yesterday.

Thousands of firefighters had already fanned out throughout the state.

Cal Fire has now ordered a mandatory evacuation for the entire town of Felton.

We have seen a steady stream of cars.

Everyone pulling their jesskeys, lawn equipment, RVs.

In the mountains outside Santa Cruz, bystanders described apocalyptic scenes as flames and

golfed small communities.

It was like a movie.

We were watching the fire just wore in.

You could hear pro paintings blowing out.

We have bridges that have failed.

All wooden bridges that have failed.

And check out the back of this car, the glass.

Holy mountain away.

And over here, this house left in rubble.

That fire, the CZU lightning complex fire, was one of California's most destructive on

record, killing one person and raising about 1500 homes and buildings to the ground.

It's the type of disaster that the state's largest home insurer, state farm, might have

been referring to when it said recently that it's facing, quote, rapidly growing catastrophe

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