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Amid the large-scale fires that residents of California (USA) have faced, people may encounter fire tornadoes — a rare but extremely dangerous phenomenon.
The National Weather Service warned that the combination of strong winds and extreme drought creates a “particularly dangerous situation” in which any new fire could grow rapidly, according to The Associated Press. Meteorologist Todd Hall said that the extreme conditions significantly increase the chance of a fire tornado.
It is noted that people also call fire tornadoes “fire whirlwinds” and “fire devils.” However, some experts believe that whirlwinds arise solely due to excessive heat, while tornadoes are associated with clouds created by the fire itself.
The National Wildfire Coordination Group’s dictionary defines a firestorm as “an upward-moving column of hot air and gases that spins, lifting smoke, debris, and flame.” As meteorology professor Leila Carvalho explained, large vortices can reach the intensity of a small tornado. Wildfires with turbulent smoke plumes also trigger clouds that produce lightning or whirlwinds of ash, smoke, and flame.
“The tornado was caused by strong wind shear and a localized area of low pressure caused by heat,” Carvalho said.
According to her, fire tornadoes intensify fires by sucking in air and lead to widespread destruction.
For example, in 2018, a fire tornado the size of three football fields killed a firefighter during a major fire near the city of Redding, 400 km from San Francisco. At the time, scientists described the phenomenon as a cloud with an icy top that rose to a height of 11 km. At the same time, wind speeds reached 230 km/h.
According to James Urban, a professor of fire protection engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a fire tornado can carry burning coals over vast distances. And, most dangerously, it can suddenly change the direction of the fire.
Experts say that tornado formation depends on the interaction of wind, smoke plumes, and terrain. For example, certain landforms can restrict airflow, creating a spiral motion.
What is known about this massive fire in California?
I previously wrote that a wildfire, driven by strong winds, has spread rapidly across the US state of California. The fire has destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate.
It is noted that the area of the fire in Ventura County grew from about a square kilometer to more than 42 square kilometers in just five hours. The large-scale fires killed people, animals, and burned down many homes, including those belonging to famous Americans.
