Well, in Arizona, we have a problem with bark beetle infestation. Add that to the "doghair thickets" in the Ponderosa forest and it's a perfect recipe for a crown fire. The fire just says to heck with burning along the ground, I'll just run along the treetops leaping from dead tree to dead tree. A forest fire here can cover a lot of ground very quickly. They usually get started by people that decide they need a bonfire in the summer. Must be cold-natured folks.
Hope you guys get a handle on the fire, Ben.