Nature
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A video of a “devil tree” has emerged online, appearing to show pillars of flames burning inside the trunk of a hollow tree.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.The footage was shot by two freaked out hikers on December 21 of last year near Defiance, Ohio.
As some commenters alluded to on YouTube, it’s fair to speculate the fire was most likely caused by a lighting strike, with the tall tree acting as a lightning rod. However, moisture or lack of oxygen within the tree trunk could have limited the fire's growth. Instead of a full-blown blaze, the tree slowly smoldered.
