Extremely dangerous fire behavior noted on the #LoyaltonFire! Rotating columns and potential for fire whirls. Responders should exercise extreme caution!!! https://t.co/DYghar7yiz
— NWS Reno (@NWSReno) August 15, 2020
“Firenados are created when rising hot air from a fire becomes twisted by winds changing direction, much like the more common land tornado. The difference between a regular tornado and the firenado, however, is that winds combine with smoke plums to create especially dangerous conditions. Although uncommon, firenados do happen.”
A rare “firenado” was caught on camera in California near the Nevada border on Saturday near the Nevada border. NBC News reports the firenado prompted a tornado warning from the National Weather Service in Reno shortly before 3 p.m. near the Loyalton fire, which started in Sierra County in the Tahoe National Forest. Wind gusts reached about 60 mph.
“The big concern is that it’s extremely erratic fire behavior, For any of the firefighters who are working on one flank of the fire, all of a sudden, there is no way to predict what the winds are going to do or how strong they are going to be.” –National Weather Service Meteorologist John Mittelstadt