30,000-ft Tall Fire Tornado Will Be Reaching California, People Ordered To Evacuate

2020 has shown us incredible horror stories.

And there it is again, showing us something truly horrific and unheard of before. In California, US – a rare fire tornado was spotted for the first time ever, and the National Weather Office has issued a warning to the residents.

Here’s everything we know about the 30,000 feet high fire tornado

The issued warning refers to the pyrocumulonimbus cloud – meaning a fire cloud – that was formed by the wildfires in Loyalton. Meteorologists have said that this fire tornado could produce winds faster than 100 kmph.

This fire tornado rose so quickly from the wildfire, and reached a height of 30,000 feet – that is higher than the Mount Everest. And then the flashes of lightning and thunderbolts started in the fire cloud as it rose and began to spin.

According to theory, fire tornadoes are created either from volcanoes or dangerous wildfires near mountains. They can be deadly and massive. But this was the first time a fire tornado warning was issued, confirming that they are real indeed.

This is how it looks from a plane

Neil Lareau, a fire behaviour scientist, said: “Amazing event. Not aware of this ever before,” Lareau is the one whose research had confirmed the existence and intensity of deadly fire tornadoes.

Fire tornadoes are extremely rare; being able to detect them in real time on radar is something new.

Wendell Hohmann, the meteorologist who issued the warning, described it as a “once-in-a-lifetime, career event.”

Startling videos were posted on Twitter

People were warned to evacuate the area

Normally, when tornado warnings are issued, people are told to go into their basements. But as this fire tornado rises, authorities have issued evacuation orders for the people in the area.

“Do not go into this area! Life-threatening situation!” stated the warning.

That would make it one of California’s strongest tornadoes, and first killer fire tornado, on record.

According to WFMZ, this is how a fire tornado is created:

The wildfire drastically warms the air above it. The hot air rises. Then, the fire on the ground follows the rising air. As fire rises with the hot air into the sky, it gets twisted by crosswinds.

Now the rising and twisting fire keeps picking up smoke and dirt from the ground and creates a fire cloud that starts to have flashing thunder.

When you hear about fire tornadoes, there are nearly always mountains near the fire. Because only mountains can create such strong crosswinds which are needed to create such fire tornadoes.

 

 

All Featured Images Courtesy: WFMZ

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