California’s Thomas Fire is the fifth-largest wildfire in the state’s modern history. It’s also the biggest of six wildfires now raging in the state that have forced the evacuation of 98,000 people. …In addition to strong winds and dry foliage, human error and ignorance are contributing to the fire’s damage, experts say. …“A frustration in the fire protection community is that a lot of people want to live in the country … without understanding the risk,” McMullen told HuffPost. …Strong winds can cause a fire to blow like a blast furnace, he said. “They can burn so fast and furious that they will incinerate trees,” McMullen said. “I’ve personally seen where these fires have incinerated pine trees up to 50 feet high ― nothing but blackened branches, and at the top a full-blown Christmas tree. It’s a remarkable thing to see.”