History Wildfires are not new, they have been with us since the beginning of time. Tree ring data has shown that huge areas of Yellowstone National Park have burned in the past. In 1910, fires scared over 5 million acres of the West. Undoubtably the last large meteor impact on Earth caused a worldwide fire event. Causes When it comes to why wildfires occur it comes down to two main causes, natural or man-made.
Weather plays an important role in the events leading to the fire as well as during the fire.
A hot dry weather pattern for prolonged periods dry out the grasses and leaves needed to fuel a wildfire. Combine this factor with a dry thunderstorm producing lightning and you have the formula for a major fire. Strong winds not only from weather related causes but from the fire itself can push a fire out of control and beyond the capabilities of the firefighter. Lightning strikes the Earth over 100,000 times a day. It's no wonder that lightning is the biggest cause of naturally occurring wildfires.