usgs This shows some interesting data for this site.
Of course being so close to the main tectonic plate line for the area it could be a naturally formed fissure through the crust to the mantle making it
possible for a small area to receive some geothermic activity making it extremely hot.
Basically and I'm going on only the basis of this article, it may be a pocket of geothermic gas hot enough to ignite higher areas of fossil fuels
with enough composition of oxygen and fuel for it to keep burning for an extended period of time thus making the ground hot.
It is not unknown for new volcanic activity to from time to time start out on relatively flat areas of land. Recent seismic shifts in the main
Pacific/American plate could cause small areas like this to become geothermically active resulting in these hot spots.
Please keep us aprised of this
[edit on 8/3/2008 by whatukno]