However a fire starts, its behavior depends on vegetation, climate and terrain. In an area covered by dry chaparral, a wildfire quickly covers ground. As the fire s intensity increases, the air above it becomes more and more heated. Nearby plants dry out. Steep terrain will let a fire burn quickly uphill.
Heat concentrates on the hillside as it rises off the burning brush or trees.
The drying and heating of the unburned vegetation happens quicker than on a flat surface. Fire spreads in three ways. Ground fires creep slowly through organic debris on the ground. Surface fires involve surface litter, shrubs, and small trees. Crown fires roar from tree top to tree top.