Oh that is weird. I remember playing with boxes of matches but hmmm when there was a wildfire? Definitely odd.

Pine forests go up like mad. They're both volatile. However The problem with eucalyptus though is their burning leaves carry much, much further in the wind. When I was a kid I remember burning leaves falling on the beach 20 km from the fire front in the high winds. Same reports from the last fires - a town caught fire 10 km from front due to burning embers and leaves in wind. Eucalyptus also have a lot of fallen matter (it's why they used to burn off in off season and still do) and long strips of bark on trees that ignite and travel vertically. Mental.

I think that was one of problems with the Cali fires... A heap of eucalyptus plantations (same with Spain and Portugal) ..they burn with an intensity no other forest does. Unless you've lit a fire with dry eucalyptus leaves (you never need paper to light a fire here) it's hard to imagine how volatile the oils are.