How do fires occur in a forest naturally?

Destructive Fire Forest fires always start by one of two ways - naturally caused or human caused. Natural fires are generally started by lightning, with a very small percentage started by spontaneous combustion of dry fuel such as sawdust and leaves. read more

Of course, this type of adaptation only arose in areas were natural wild fires are common and occur in regular intervals — particularly in parts of Africa, Australia, and South America. An example of one such plant is the Banksia serrata, a tree native to eastern Australia. read more

Forest fires can also be classified by what part of the forest they burn in: Ground fires occur on the ground, often below the leaves. Surface Fires occur on the surface of the forest up to 1.3 meters high. Crown fires are the most dangerous fires and can spread the fastest. They occur in the tops of the trees. read more

­After combustion occurs and a fire begins to burn, there are several factors that determine how the fire spreads. These three factors include fuel, weather and topography. Depending on these factors, a fire can quickly fizzle or turn into a raging blaze that scorches thousands of acres. read more