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.
Footage captured by KCAL/KCBS shows one of these “firenados” in real time, CNN reported. It was part of the Palisades Fire that destroyed 23,713 acres in Los Angeles Country by Wednesday.
The Associated Press reported on the risk of fire tornadoes – also known as “fire whirls” and “fire devils” – too, as dangerous fire conditions persist in the Los Angeles area.
Leila Carvalho, professor of meteorology and climatology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said that this rare phenomenon can make fires stronger by sucking up air, the AP said. They can also leave a path of destruction like any other tornado and a swirl of lighting, ash, smoke and flame. Citing James Urban, an assistant professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the AP said research suggests fire tornadoes can also carry airborne embers called firebrands over long distances.
In August 2023, Audacy reported on fire whirls near the California-Nevada border that appeared as the York fire raged near the Mojave Desert.
“Fire whirls range in size from less than 1 m in diameter and velocities less than 10 m/s up to possibly 3 km in diameter and winds greater than 50 m/s,” according to the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory. “They have been observed in wildland, urban, and oil spill fires and volcanic eruptions. Dynamically, they are closely related to other swirling atmospheric phenomena such as dust devils, water spouts, and tornadoes.”
While the Library of Congress’ “Everyday Mysteries” series said “true fire tornadoes are rare and are always associated with extreme fire behavior,” the AP noted that a “fire tornado the size of three football fields killed a firefighter as it exploded,” near Redding, Calif., in 2018. Another fire whirl includes a Tokyo fire devil that reportedly killed 38,000 people in 1923.
As of Wednesday, the National Weather Service predicted that critical fire weather conditions would continue across coastal southern California, with improvement expected toward the end of the week. Northeasterly wind gusts of 30-50 mph and isolated 60 mph gusts were expected across mountainous regions.
“Critical fire weather conditions will extend throughout much of the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges today as well,” said the NWS. “While wind gusts may not be as strong compared to Ventura and Los Angeles counties, the potential for rapid fire growth and localized downed trees and power outages will still remain.”
On social media, the weather service said Wednesday morning PT that there were still some gusty winds in the area. Fire news and updates are available from Audacy station KNX News in Los Angeles.