The Fire That Inspired Matthew McConaughey's Film

The new Matthew McConaughey film, "The Lost Bus," will bring an extraordinary fight for survival to the screen, but the fire's larger story stars Mother Nature, as weather, drought and wind combined to turn a spark into an unstoppable inferno.

The movie, which also stars America Ferrera and will open in theaters Friday, is inspired by the true story of a school bus driver and teacher who fought to save 22 children during California's 2018 Camp Fire.

As the movie arrives, it’s worth remembering the real conditions that turned Paradise, California, into ground zero for the state’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire.

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The Camp Fire ignited on the morning of Nov. 8, 2018, when a single hook on a Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) transmission line failed and sparked during extremely dry and windy weather.

Just how dry was it? To put it into perspective: Butte County, where the line was located, had gone more than 200 days without even half an inch of rain. This meant that grasses that had flourished during recent wet winters had long since dried out, creating abundant fuel for a wildfire. The day before the blaze began, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning as wind gusts of up to 55 mph swept the region, dropping humidity into the single digits.

(MORE: Paradise Lost Following Deadly Wildfire)

Within hours, the blaze exploded. Paradise, home to 27,000 people, was consumed before many residents and emergency services even realized what was happening. Evacuation routes clogged, cars were abandoned in the road and residents ran away clutching pets and children.

“It is pure chaos up here,” one California Highway Patrol officer told the media at the time.

Some evacuees described driving through walls of flames with near-zero visibility: “The hardest part was there was no visibility … it was pitch black,” Colton Percifield told The Weather Channel in a phone interview.

In many cases, emergency responders were fighting to save lives while losing their own homes. Dozens of officers reported for duty even after their houses were destroyed. “It’s my community, it’s where I grew up. It’s something I absolutely had to do,” said Colusa Police Sgt. Jarrod Hughes, who evacuated his family and then returned to help others.

By the time it was fully contained on Nov. 25, the Camp Fire had burned almost 240 square miles, destroyed more than 18,000 homes and businesses, displaced 50,000 people, and claimed 85 lives. It was named the most destructive wildfire in California’s history.

(MORE: Before And After Photos From Paradise, California)

"The Lost Bus" is being released by Apple Original Films. It opens in theaters on Sept. 19 and will stream beginning Oct. 3 on Apple TV+

Weather.com lead editor Jenn Jordan explores how weather and climate weave through our daily lives, shape our routines and leave lasting impacts on our communities.