California, Fire tornado

Fire tornadoes pose a threat in California. A fire lab shows how they work
The National Weather Service's warning about the “particularly dangerous situation” in which any new fire could explode in size in the Los Angeles area didn’t mention fire tornadoes.
California wildfires producing dangerous fire tornadoes
LOS ANGELES – Fire tornadoes are a rare and frightening phenomenon that can be produced by wildfires. These fiery whirlwinds of flames form when gusty winds interact with intense heat columns rising from the fire, creating a vacuum that sucks in cooler air from the sides.
Fire tornadoes are a new risk in California
Wildfires tearing through Southern California have already burned tens of thousands of acres and structures down. Now, another threat is facing the area: fire tornadoes.
Fire tornadoes a risk during California wildfires - and scientists are studying small ones in a lab
A researcher describes the destructive power of the fires in Los Angeles, particularly the formation of fire tornadoes or fire whirls that can reach very high wind speeds.
How wildfires can create fire tornadoes
Wildfires produce a lot of heat, which causes the air above them to rise rapidly. As this hot air moves upward, cooler air from the surrounding area rushes in to replace it. This creates a spinning motion if the surface wind conditions are just right. The result is a vortex, or a spinning column of air.
Fire tornadoes pose a threat in California. A pyrotechnics lab shows how they work
As if they aren’t already facing enough, firefighters in California also could encounter fire tornadoes — a rare but dangerous phenomenon in which wildfires create their own weather. The National Weather Service warned Tuesday that the combination of high winds and severely dry conditions have created a “particularly dangerous situation” in which any new fire could explode in size.
These 'fire tornadoes' are from 2024 Wyoming blaze, not LA fires | Fact check
The video shows a pair of fire whirls from the Remington Fire, which began in August 2024 and burned through parts of Wyoming ...
‘PDS' warnings were made to grab attention in tornadoes, hurricanes, and now wildfires
The National Weather Service’s Los Angeles page screams “Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS)” in hot pink letters against ...
Kansas records more than double the number of tornadoes in 2024 over previous year
Preliminary results indicate 2024 was a more active year for severe weather in Kansas. Scientists at the Storm Prediction ...
2024 was a record-breaking year for tornadoes in Iowa. Here's what we know.
Iowa experienced a record number of tornadoes in 2024, with a total of 125 touching down in the year. See the National Weather Service's recap.