I said 22 on a good year! 16 to 18 seems to be the average and we never get enough water. That last fire hit us right in the middle of the drought and was fueled by 35 mph winds. It was the wind slapping hi-lines together that started it. We had planes, helo’s, the forest service, city and county fire departments fighting that one. Didn’t lose any cows are equipment but we did lose about 12 miles of fences. I did lose 80 heifers that year but it wasn’t due to the fire or drought. I was told they were breed to a low birth weight bull which obviously wasn’t the case. Lost about 22 others to the heat and getting stuck in the mud and dying before we could get them out. It was really bad year.
I hope you have a better year this year.
I have lived in upland fire country for 40 years. When the wind hits 35+mph there is nothing that can be done to stop the fires advance. Best they can do is try and turn the flanks. We lost a whole neighbor of homes few years ago after fire season was “over” to a fire driven by 50+mph winds. Every piece of fire equipment for 50 miles was on that fire and they could only save the trucks and their own lives.
Sorry for your losses. Ranching can be a tough life.