Wildfires are quite often spread rapidly by winds. They also generate their own windstorm within the fire. These skinny, hardwood trees chose to grow tall as fast as possible to reach light through the canopy of conifers. The spindly stems and weak wood of the hardwoods left them vulnerable to tipping by the fire-driving winds. As they bent and swooped, they thoroughly dried from the heat, retaining their swooping form long after the fire was out.