Weird Flame Inside A Tree Burned For 10 Days Before Starting the Southern Utah Forsyth Fire

Officials in Southern Utah were aware of the dry windy conditions in Southern Utah when the Forsyth Fire broke out. What they couldn’t predict was a lightning strike that caused a tree to burn on the inside for 10 days before the wind caused it to spread. 

Pine Resin is Highly Flammable 

When investigators of the fire near Pine Valley in Southern Utah went to the place where the forest fire began, they discovered a tree that had been struck by lightning and had been smoldering on the inside. They were able to pinpoint the strike from days earlier. 

Seeing a tree burning from the inside is not uncommon, especially after a fire has burned through a forest. It has to do with how trees grow. The outer portion of the tree carries water from the roots.  

As the tree grows, the middle wood grows old and dies. To protect this part of the tree from rot, it replaces the water with resin. The wood along with this resin is highly flammable. So much so that survivalists look for this when making a fire. 

Lightning Can Penetrate the Outer Layers of a Tree 

When lightning struck the tree near Pine Valley, it went through the outer live areas of the tree and lit the resin filled wood inside. Because it is dense with little air, the fire smoldered there for the ten days undetected. 

Read More: Fire Retardant Paint in Utah & Nevada For Better Fire Protection

As the air dried and the wind began to blow on the mountain, this smoldering flame gained oxygen and strength and soon ignited the forest around it. Despite all the precautions to prevent a spark, the fire was already there, quietly burning.