Containing wildfires—never mind extinguishing them—in parched and windy conditions can be monstrously difficult. Dry vegetation is rocket fuel for blazes and wind both feeds the flames and spreads the embers. “The winds are like pointing an air blower at a fireplace,” says Gershunov, “except it’s not contained and it’s on a much larger scale.”

While it may be impossible ever to know for sure, several variables could be at play for those homes that survive, experts say: a smart, fire-resilient design; an owners’ preparation, like clearing away flammable vegetation;