Fiery Critters Coming from Mt Thunder?

[Caer Bombadil]

It was my understanding that the terrible fiery threat in the far North, which Kastanessen was Appointed to patch, which it seems to be our consensus to equate with the "skurj", was now threatening to escape and ravage the world (with Kassy's direction and connivance, presumably) not from the north pole, but from Mt Thunder.

Tell me, is the idea of fire creatures from Mount Thunder new? Of course not; the Fire-Lions that rescued Berek were mentioned very early in LFB.

Is there some relationship or essential similarity between the chaotic-evil skurj, and the "good" (albeit mostly hibernating) Fire-Lions? Just seemed like an obvious connection to make!

(BTW, did SRD ever in any way confirm skurj = threat Kassy blocked = fire-worms in Linden's vision?)

[Warmark]

off topic but anyway

the Fire-Lions that rescued Berek were mentioned very early in LFB

i find it hard to believe that all the army would have followed Berek to mount thunder and that they all perished. surely some of the army stayed behind