Most wildfires are caused by people who leave campfires unattended, burn debris or dispose of lit cigarettes or matches carelessly, conduct industrial activities in forests or set fires deliberately. The remaining fires are started by lightning.
Lightning is described as having two parts.
The leader is the probing feeler sent from the cloud and the return streaks of light are a series of strokes that produce the actual lightning bolt or flash that we see. This is why lightning flashes. Lightning can involve a short, but intense, electrical current or it can continue for a longer period of time. Evaluation of Wildland Fires When wildfires begin, three principal questions are asked. In some locations, a natural wildfire started by lightning may be permitted to burn its course, while kept under observation.