What is a ‘Firenado’?: Unusual Fire Tornado Spotted Amid Palisades Fire in LA | Watch

A terrifying “firenado” was spotted during the Palisades Fire in the Los Angeles area of California. The firenado appeared on Friday night and was captured on camera, with the footage quickly going viral on social media.

What is a “firenado”?

A firenado, a fire whirl created by a spinning column of hot air and gases rising from a blaze, was captured during the Palisades Fire in the Los Angeles area. As the air and gases rise, they carry smoke, debris, and even flames, as seen in the viral footage of the fire’s vortex.

Firenados can range in size from less than one foot wide to over 500 feet, with larger fire whirls being as strong as a small tornado. According to the US Forest Service and Fox Weather, these larger vortices, with wind speeds up to the EF-2 tornado scale, have been known to uproot trees, flip vehicles, and tear roofs off homes.

One of the most powerful fire whirls in recent history occurred during the 2018 Carr Fire in Redding, California, with wind speeds reaching up to 143 mph, comparable to an EF-3 tornado, as reported by the National Weather Service (NWS).

The NWS also highlighted that Tokyo witnessed the most destructive fire whirl on record in 1923. Triggered by fires that erupted across the city after a massive earthquake, the fire whirl claimed around 38,000 lives in less than 15 minutes.

California wildfires

The wildfires, which began on Tuesday of last week, have now led to six active fires in the Los Angeles area, including the Palisades Fire. These blazes have resulted in at least 24 fatalities, the destruction of more than 12,000 homes and businesses, and the incineration of over 29,000 acres of land.