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Expert assessment: "Basically, we're out of fire season across all of Central and Southern California," said Matt Shameson, meteorologist with the U.S. Forest Service's South Ops Office, which regularly assesses wildfire conditions.

Fire risk: The assessment is determined by a variety of factors, including dead and live fuel moisture, both of which are well above critical thresholds after recent storms. Vegetation is greening up, soils are getting saturated and dry creeks are starting to run again. As of late November, parts of Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties have received between 5 to 9 times more rainfall than is normal for this time of year.

The year ahead: We likely won't see any significant fire activity until April, when grasses dry out. Large scale forest fires

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