The Caamas Firestorm, alternatively known as the destruction of Caamas, was a brutal assault executed by the Galactic Empire against the planet of Caamas in 19 BBY.
Emperor Palpatine regarded the Caamasi as a danger to his reign because of their independent thinking and loyalty to the Galactic Republic. Consequently, he masterminded a scheme to eradicate them.
Palpatine, with the assistance of Bothan agents on the ground, arranged for Caamas's planetary shields to be deactivated, exposing the planet to a fiery bombardment launched from Star Destroyers.
This assault triggered firestorms that raged for several years, ultimately decimating any remaining plant life that had survived the initial devastation. The surviving animal population gradually perished from starvation or suffocation. The majority of the Caamasi were killed during the attack, with only an estimated 200 survivors remaining after the bombardment.
The planet suffered significant erosion due to the complete loss of plant life, which altered its surface topography. The atmosphere became saturated with soot and smoke, causing changes in the planet's climate, and the oceans were contaminated by runoff. Wearing breath masks became a requirement for anyone visiting the planet who intended to spend extended periods outdoors.
The attack sparked widespread outrage throughout the galaxy due to the severity of the atrocity. Caamasi refugees sought temporary refuge on planets such as Alderaan, Kerilt, and Susevfi. Alderaan was known to have a large collection of information regarding the attack within its royal library.
For years following the event, the identity of the responsible party remained unknown. Imperial propaganda asserted that a stray cluster of high-yield actinium bombs originating from the CIS had detonated on the planet. The Galactic Empire's culpability and the assistance provided by the Bothans were eventually revealed, culminating in the Caamas Document Crisis in 19 ABY.