[palmer]

Trees didn't burn since the fires in Paradise were low intensity. Some of the Camp fire was low intensity even outside of town as well:

But there was also high intensity fire, "east of Highway 70 near Yankee Hill, Calif."

That high intensity fire with a strong east wind created an ember storm over Paradise. Any of the structure fires there could have been put out easily, but there were too many of them all at the same time.

[editor-surveyor]

.
I don’t fool as easily as you do!

Our ranch is in the middle of the Stanislaus NF.

I’ve done ground burns in dense forest, and know how far up one has to clear the ladder wood.

The trees in Paradise don’t qualify! Too much low ladder for any kind of fire to have gone through on the ground.

Take a drive through Paradise and you’ll be very convinced.

The structures were ignited from the air. so were the cars. Ground fires rarely do significant damage to cars unless they are in dense brush.