“We lost about 80 percent of our avocado crop”
-Ellen Brokaw, Santa Paula farmer
Over the past month, we've witnessed some of the worst wildfires in California's history.
Nearly four hundred square miles have been burnt by the Thomas Fire in Ventura County.
Thousands have been evacuated, and as of this writing, the fire is hovering at about 50% containment.
But it's not just the people of California who are feeling the burn. The south land's famed avocado crops are being severely crippled.
Ellen Brokaw, a farmer in Santa Paula lost about 80% of her farm's avocado crop.
"It's kinda scary, no- REALLY scary," says Armando Hernandez, 2016 and 2017 LA Fair Best Guacamole winner.
Agriculture is taking a big hit in 2017. Over the last few months, natural disasters have damaged other signature crops.
The grape harvest was nearly complete when wildfires hit Northern California in October, but some growers are anxious about whether the taste of their wine could be tainted by smoke.
Those October fires also partially devastated the state's marijuana crops.
California is known for its lush avocado harvests. Ventura County produces crops year round due to the area's mild climate and rich, fertile soil.
This article was updated on 12/21/2017 to reflect accurate mileage