Wildfires can create their own weather: fire tornadoes and dry lightning

Large wildfires can become so intense that they generate their own weather, including lightning storms and fire tornadoes. This makes them extremely dangerous and difficult to control. When a fire burns, it releases huge amounts of heat. This hot air rises rapidly, like a hot air balloon. Cooler air then rushes in to fill the space. If the atmosphere is unstable, the rising air keeps going up. As it rises, moisture condenses to form a cloud called a pyrocumulus. If the air rises high enough, the water in the cloud freezes. When ice and liquid water particles collide inside this cloud, they can create an electrical charge. If the charge builds up enough, it is released as lightning. This is called a "dry lightning" storm because the rain often evaporates before reaching the ground. This means the lightning can start new fires without any rain to put them out. The rising air can also meet different wind speeds and directions, a condition called wind shear. This can make the air spin. The rising air can tilt this spin vertically, creating a "fire whirl" or "fire tornado." These spinning columns of fire can have powerful winds that spread burning embers, starting new fires. As the fire storm weakens, the air that rose begins to fall back down. This creates unpredictable winds on the ground, which can push the fire in new directions. Scientists have known about this phenomenon since the late 1990s. But new high-resolution satellites, launched in 2017, show that fire-generated weather is actually common. These satellites can now alert firefighters to a new fire even before someone calls 911. Climate change is making the problem worse. Rising global temperatures and more frequent heat waves are drying out landscapes, making them more likely to burn. As more people move into fire-prone areas, the risk of wildfires increases. Communities can reduce their risk by creating defensible spaces and firebreaks. Firefighters can also use controlled burns to reduce fuel. Fire is a natural part of the Earth's system, and we must learn to live with it.