>How do old wires explain the fire jumping from house to house and avoiding trees? No matter the source of the fire, this effect is still questionable. I will admit to not being an expert in fire and fire related phenomenon, but I do know that kindling point temperatures vary widely in different materials. Modern housing construction has produced homes that are highly flammable and difficult to control. I would suspect a neighboring house to reach kindling point and catch fire quicker than a nearby tree would simply because that's how the natural world controls the spread of forest fires. If healthy living trees caught fire easily, forests would completely be consumed when some trees are set ablaze. Houses made from materials that contain accelerants such as PVC, polystyrene and nylon are definitely going to catch fire sooner than green trees or trees with naturally fire resistant bark. The trees aren't completely unscathed so it's not like the alternative theories are holding water in these cases. The power transmission lines as the source is still plausible, but there are definitely other more plausible sources as well. >Arson is my hypothesis until I see some evidence of magic fire or space lasers. Yes, arson is still the best hypothesis since that would be the easiest method to wreak havoc and destruction if that was the desired outcome. I do believe this is the most likely cause and it was likely the cause of all the other wildfires.