[en] Laser-induced damage in wide band-gap optical materials is the result of material modifications arising from extreme conditions occurring during this process. The material absorbs energy from the laser pulse and produces an ionized region that gives rise to broadband emission. By performing a time-resolved investigation of this emission, we demonstrate both that it is blackbody in nature and that it provides the first direct measurement of the localized temperature of the material during and following laser damage initiation for various optical materials. For excitation using nanosecond laser pulses, the plasma, when confined in the bulk, is in thermal equilibrium with the lattice. These results allow for a detailed characterization of temperature, pressure, and electron densities occurring during laser-induced damage