Meteorology plays a fundamental role during a fire and the fire itself can, in turn, modify previous conditions, creating its own environment with phenomenon as bizarre as the one captured a few days ago by a firefighter working in extinguishment efforts in British Columbia (Canada).

A relentless wave of forest fires has ravaged Canada since March. The intensity increased in June and all provinces and territories were affected.

Until August 21, More than 5,800 fires have been declared in the country, affecting 15 million hectares. This represents 4% of the total forest area and exceeds the annual average by six times. Five deaths were reported and 156,000 people were evacuated from their homes.

Tornado, dust devil or sea wave?

Let’s analyze three phenomena seemingly very similar to each other, but in the differences of which lies the answer to the phenomenon captured in the video.

Tornado

In the images, you can see a funnel rotating violently above the waters of a lake. A spray of water near the surface indicates intense winds, of the order of 90 km/h. The duration and scale of the phenomenon suggest a tornado, connected to the base of a vertically developing cloud (cumulus or cumulonimbus).

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is usually connected to the base of a cloud.. Tornadoes can form over land or large bodies of water. In the latter case, they are called sleeves or waterspouts.

Dust Devil and “Fire Whirlwind”

Dust devils are small dust vortices which form on very hot surfaces such as deserts. They are not considered tornadoes since they have no connection with the base of a cloud (funnel cloud)., but they form in good weather, with clear skies. They have less intensity, size and duration than tornadoes.

The environment of a fire is an idyllic place for the formation of dust devils like those observed near the Izaña astronomical observatory in Tenerife. The strong heating of the surface generates thermals: pockets of hot air (less dense than the ambient air) which acquire a rotation and stretch vertically. Rotating winds in dust devils can absorb flames from a nearby fire, forming what are informally called “fire whirlwinds.”.

This is most likely a tornado strengthened by the arrival of a cold front in the region. Strong air surges in the burning core of the fire interacted with colder air at mid-tropospheric levels.

It is excluded that the video phenomenon is a dust stormbecause it would dissolve on contact with water and the hot tub would appear much smaller and disorganized.

A potentially fatal phenomenon

Needless to say, a tornado in the middle of a raging wildfire is the worst combination of all. The associated strong winds can spread the flames at high speed.although in a small area.

The unpredictable nature of tornadoes and dust devils makes them deadly for those nearby, including firefighting crews. It is for this reason that Meteorology plays a crucial role in the development of a fire. Micro-scale phenomena such as tornadoes can change the course of events.