fire tornado

A fire tornado, also called a fire whirl or firenado, is a vortex of flame that forms when intense heat and turbulent wind conditions cause a fire to spin upward in a rotating column.

These occur during large wildfires or industrial fires when rising hot air meets conflicting winds: Firefighters retreated when a fire tornado formed over the burning warehouse.

Though rare, fire tornadoes can reach temperatures exceeding 2,000°F and generate winds strong enough to uproot trees.