Fire whirl

A fire whirl also colloquially known as a fire devil, fire tornado, firenado, or fire twister is a whirlwind induced by a fire and often made up of flame or ash. Fire whirls may occur when intense rising heat and turbulent wind conditions combine to form whirling eddies of air. These eddies can contract into a tornado-like structure that sucks in burning debris and combustible gases. Rarely, however, do fire whirls grow to become actual tornadoes, which are violently rotating vortices connecting the surface to a cumuliform (such as pyrocumulus or pyrocumulonimbus) cloud base.

Formation

A fire whirl consists of a core the part that is actually on fire and an invisible rotating pocket of air. A fire whirl can reach up to 2,000 °F (1,090 °C) hot enough to potentially reignite ashes sucked up from the ground. Often, fire whirls are created when a wildfire or firestorm creates its own wind, which can turn into a spinning vortex of flame.

Combustible, carbon-rich gases released by burning vegetation on the ground are fuel for most fire whirls. When sucked up by a whirl of air, this unburned gas travels up the core until it reaches a region where there is enough fresh, heated oxygen to set it ablaze. This causes the tall and skinny appearance of a fire whirl's core.

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For A While

by: Frank Sinatra

Lost in day to day
Turn another way
With a laugh
A kind hello
Some small talk
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I forget
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For a while
A wave an easy grin
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With other lives
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I've got to do
I forget
That I'm not over you
For a while
Days go by
With no empty feeling
Until I
Remember you're gone
People say to me
You need company
When you have
Some time to spend
Drop around
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They forget
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For a while
They forget
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Latest News for: fire whirl

What is a red flag warning? What to know about fire weather alerts, Oklahoma wildfires

Pawhuska Journal-Capital 14 Mar 2025
As conditions worsen, the NWS will issue one of three different kinds of fire-related warnings to the public with varying levels of severity ... High rate of spread Prolific crowning and/or spotting Presence of fire whirls Strong convection column.

What is a 'high wind' warning? What to know about fire weather alerts, Oklahoma wildfires

The Oklahoman 13 Mar 2025
Fires are likely to spread rapidly ... Red flag warnings are delivered when an area hree factors can increase the risk of fire ... High rate of spread Prolific crowning and/or spotting Presence of fire whirls Strong convection column
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