(CNN) Wildfires can be unfathomably huge and destructive.

The damage and scope of such an event can make things seem hopeless: How is it possible to contain such a blaze? How does it even start, and spread, and what does life look like after it has died down? Here are some essential things to know about wildfires.

They have a lot of causes, but most are man-made

There have also been recorded cases where wildfires were blamed not on carelessness, but arson.