>>323
You usually see this without the と in there, just [verb]んばかりに, and it means something is at the point where it's very nearly doing [verb]. So here it's something like "blazing up almost to the heavens". (Yeah I suck at translating)

I've seen this used most often as "と言わんばかり" - "as if to say".

The 届く is in the negative form but I guess really works like it's postive. The way this construction works makes perfect sense in my head but not in a way I can explain. I think maybe it's more because I've grown used to it than because I've actually understood or figured out any reason why it should be like this.