One of the features of this fire that made it so hard to fight was how high the flames were; not only did this mean more fire and heat, it also meant more wind and flying embers. By flattening the houses, it would lower the flames dramatically, thereby making them easier to subdue. It’s an unorthodox mode of thinking that only makes sense when you’re using forty-ton machines to remove all available fuel in the face of a rapidly expanding conflagration in an urban setting—something very few firefighters have ever had to do, or even consider doing.
