Why do wildfires spread faster on windy days?

Fire needs heat, fuel, and oxygen, and wind helps all three of those conditions. It pushes flames toward unburned vegetation, dries out fuels, and can loft embers into the air, creating spot fires far from the main blaze. Wind-driven fire spread was a major factor in disasters such as the 2018 Camp Fire in California. That is why fire behaviour can change dramatically in just a few minutes.