When Dinosaurs Roamed a Fiery Landscape
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120329124714.htm
New studies have shown that Dinosaurs may have lived with a hazard that isn’t as common now as back then: fire. Researchers tracked fires by the large charcoal deposits left behind. The most common causes of fires back then would be lightning strikes and the higher oxygen levels would allow the plants to burn more easily than today. Professor Andrew Scott comments: "Until now, few have taken into account the impact that fires would have had on the environment, not only destroying the vegetation but also exacerbating run-off and erosion and promoting subsequent flooding following storms." Also the charcoal deposits are usually close to sights where dinosaur fossils were found, leading to the assumption that the fires cause many dinosaurs to die.
This could help scientists make a more accurate guess on what would happen if there were more fires today.
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