Yes the lightning strike to that tree is amazing.
This is a late post as I just got some pictures off my phone. Last Saturday heading out early on patrol we were stopped by a Mtn. High employee and said there was a tree on fire up on Frost Peak. Expecting a fully involved tree when we arrived, we saw nothing. We parked at the communication site and looked for our needle in the hay stack. We were not about to give up though and I happened to turn around and noticed the smoke billowing out of the top. It was the weirdest thing I'd ever seen, smoke, chimney what the.... ? Bob made his way over to the tree while I called it in to Angeles. They dispatched engine 37 immediately. Not much we could do except baby sit it. When they arrived they jumped on spraying all the brush around it and hosing the tree down. The only way they could completely extinguish it was by dropping it and cutting it up. They called Engine 39 for assistance and a bigger chain saw as well as expert a falling crew. We got out of their way and let them do their job and went about our business for the day. Eventually, the tree dropped itself and they were able to extinguish the brush, keep it wet and finish off the tree. Some stayed on watch through the night.
I can't imagine what could have happened if the Mtn. High Employee and us hadn't crossed paths on Blue Ridge Rd. We may have found it as we always check on the campers that overflow from Blueridge and Guffy on holiday weekends. But maybe not, we wouldn't be looking up per' say.
Talking to one of the water tenders at the staging area on Inspiration point said that they chase these down a lot after a storm and could pop up days, weeks after. Some burn out, some don't and drop, then spread.
This is were the lightning struck and blew a hole in the tree and started it's internal burn.
Engine 37 arriving
Hosing it down.
This is were the tree finally fatigued from the fire burning in it's belly.
