In a crown fire, flames can stretch hundreds of feet above the treetops, creating a convection column so powerful that it actually creates its own weather.
The four phases of combustion can often be observed simultaneously on a large wildfire, including pre-ignition, flaming, transition (smoke generation), and smoldering.
Forests respond to disturbances like wildfire through the process of ecological succession, a progressive movement from early colonizing pioneer species toward the most stable climax community. Wildfires are one way nature resets the successional trajectory of a forest.
