Bush fires , forest fires , and mine fires are generally started by lightning , but also by human negligence or arson . They can burn thousands of square kilometers . If a fire intensifies enough to produce its own winds and " weather " , it will form into a firestorm . A good example of a mine fire is the one near Centralia , Pennsylvania . Started in 1962 , it ruined the town and continues to burn today . Some of the biggest city-related fires are The Great Chicago Fire , The Peshtigo Fire ( both of 1871 ) and the Great Fire of London in 1666
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Anthropogenic hazard