Bob Eisele sent us this map of the North Fire — the “Carmegeddon” fire that trapped scores of vehicles on Interstate 15 in southern California July 17, burning 22 of them. His data points out that much of the vegetation had not burned in a very long time — for southern California, anyway.

Mr. Eisele said:

We all “know” the Cajon Pass burns “all the time”. But it doesn’t all burn all the time. The North fire area last burned in 1945. It takes old fuel, not drought, to make big fires in SoCal. See map attached.

Same holds true for the Lake Fire.