CNN on fire whirls, fire tornadoes, and "pyro" clouds

CNN on fire whirls, fire tornadoes, and “pyro” clouds

Satellite photo, wildfires, — As the sun begins to set on the west coast, gray smoke from wildfires can be easily distinguished from white clouds. In the photo, the largest smoke plume is coming from the the Dixie Fire in Northern California. Smoke from other fires was being generated in northeast Washington, Southern Oregon, British Columbia, Northern Idaho, and Western Montana. NOAA, GOES 17.

A reporter for CNN, Rachel Ramirez, wrote an “explainer” article about some of the phenomena associated with wildfires that are part of the common parlance among wildland firefighters, but might seem strange to normal people. Some of the topics covered are fire whirls, fire tornadoes, pyrocumulus clouds, and fires “creating their own weather.”

Ms. Ramirez has quotes from Janice Coen, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and at least one other name that will be familiar to our readers.

Here is a brief excerpt from the article:

And as climate change accelerates, these wind patterns will continue to shift.

“With the changing climate, the projected change is that the jet stream will shift towards the north,” Coen told CNN, which means that “we might see fewer of these events in California, and see more in Oregon and Washington if these wind events, the regional weather pattern, coincide with underlying dry periods in fortuitous ignitions.”

Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire. View all posts by Bill Gabbert

4 thoughts on “CNN on fire whirls, fire tornadoes, and “pyro” clouds”

Very good article, the extreme fire behavior was very evident on the Bootleg fire. Several days in the first week of the fire 3-4 large smoke columns topped by a pyrocumulus cloud could be seen in the late afternoon. My first shift working on the Log fire, (small fire just east of Bootleg that eventually merged with the main fire) we were chased down a paved forest road 0.3 tenths of a mile by a firewhirl burning in second growth pine with a heavy brush component.

Nice mention as an authoritative source for a major US media outlet! I guess that is why I am here reading your blog.

Hi Bill,

Now we need to hope that the Right People read this. I made the mistake beginning this comment before I went to your links. But I will follow them and write down the information I find because I am not computer savvy and things have a habit of disappearing.

Have a good day, Jerry