6 important things to know about wildfires

While there are certainly natural phenomena that cause wildfires, such as lightning, a NASA study says 84% of wildfires are caused by human carelessness. It doesn't take much, either -- a campfire, discarded cigarette or errant firework can be enough to trigger a huge blaze. Even all terrain vehicles (ATVs) can be a wildfire risk, because the hot exhaust can ignite dry brush. 

There have also been recorded cases where wildfires were blamed not on carelessness, but arson.

It's no suprise that, say, dry conditions increase fire risk. But windy conditions can also push wildfires forward and spread embers. Hot conditions can make the ground more likely to burn, and on a hot day, rising warm air can create a path for fire to travel up steep landscapes such as mountains. In fact, fire will burn faster uphill than downhill. 

Very large fires can create their own weather -- strong winds, and in some cases, fire tornadoes.

https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/11/weather/wildfires-things-to-know-trnd/index.html