The Year the West Was Burning: How the 2020 Wildfire Season Got So Extreme December 1, 2020 on Featured, Science by TBS Newsbot The Year the West Was Burning: How the 2020 Wildfire Season Got So Extreme December 1, 2020 on Featured, Science by TBS Newsbot The 2020 wildfire season shattered records across the West. It’s part of a trend that’s headed in a dangerous direction.