California's Wildfires: The Surprising Risk of Fire Tornadoes

In California, firefighters face an unexpected threat: fire tornadoes. These are not your typical tornadoes. Instead, they are caused by wildfires themselves. When the conditions are right—high winds and extremely dry conditions—fires can create their own weather. This can happen when a fire's hot air and gases spin really fast, forming a vortex. Scientists and firefighters call this phenomenon different names: fire whirl, fire devil, or fire tornado. No matter the name, they can be powerful. In 2018, a fire tornado that was as big as three football fields killed a firefighter. It also caused winds up to 143 mph (230 kph) and an ice-capped cloud reaching 7 miles (11 km) into the air.

These tornadoes can make fires even more dangerous. They can suck up air, carrying embers, also known as firebrands, over long distances. This can change how the fire behaves, making it unpredictable. It's like having a fire that can suddenly change direction. Researchers have tried to create small fire tornadoes in labs. They do this by restricting airflow around a fire. However, recreating the massive tornadoes seen in wildfires is not possible in a lab setting. The size and intensity of wildfire-generated tornadoes are just too big to replicate.

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