A dramatic video taken Saturday shows a fire swirl that erupted while personnel battled the Chaparral Fire in Southern California.
A firefighting aircraft drops water near what appears to be a fire tornado whirling in the smoky sky, according to the footage posted by the Riverside County Fire Department.
What starts as a whirl of wind can turn into a massive rotating column that collects ash and smoke.
A fire whirl is a spinning vortex of ascending hot air and gases produced by intense fire behavior when heat and winds combine. According to Riverside County Fire Department spokesman Jody Hagemann, it becomes evident as the column transports ash, debris, and fire.
Firefighters, according to Hagemann, are always taking measures when battling wildfires, and they know how to respond when fire whirls occur close.
According to the US Forest Service, fire whirls can range in size from less than one foot to more than 500 feet in diameter, and large ones can have the energy of a small tornado. The Forest Service is in charge of the forest.
The Chaparral Fire, which started Saturday afternoon, was raging near the boundary of San Diego and Riverside counties on the edge of the Cleveland National Forest. By Sunday morning, the fire had scorched an estimated 1,425 acres and was just 10% contained. Evacuations have been requested in the area.
At least 150 firemen battling the fire from the ground and the air. According to the Riverside County Fire Department, one fireman suffered minor injuries during the struggle.
The Chaparral Fire, which began Saturday afternoon on the border of San Diego and Riverside counties on the edge of the Cleveland National Forest, was blazing. The fire had charred an estimated 1,425 acres by Sunday morning and was only 10% contained. There has been a request for evacuations in the area.
At least 150 firefighters are fighting the fire from the ground and the air. During the struggle, one firefighter suffered minor injuries, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.