We came close a couple of months ago here. A wildfire was set off by two arseholes using a barbecue, they emptied the ashes in the morning and... 65 properties were destroyed, they had tp bring in the big water bombing aircraft. I could see the red glow and all the smoke but this was about 3 miles distant so, OK. Or so I thought.
About 7pm on the second day my wife told me of a plume of smoke nearby on the lower slope of the mountain. I went to investigate and from half a mile I could hear the bangs and snaps of burning trees. The nearby quinta, people had no idea, I shouted and a guy came out in his vest. At first he didn't seem to believe me. A helicopter came over and someone managed to extinguish it before it got really going. I can still hardly believe that a wildfire burning three miles away can send over a brand that ignites my hillside. I take it seriously; I clearcut all wild brush within 20m of the house, and fortunately my house is fireproof, being made of adobe, concrete, steel and brick. Construction techniques and materials will have to change in places subject to wildfire risk. Building in wood is not something that's viable any more.
