I remember driving up the main highway into Paradise, CA and saying to myself "if there is a fire here...anyone on this highway is screwed". Fast forward less than 10 years and I was watching the news reports of people driving blind through the fire at nearly the exact spot.

The entire town was on a ridge with tons of fuel (pine trees)...elevations below that was nothing but dry grass.

Although the fire was caused by power lines...All it would have taken was cigarette butt.