Anyone living in the mid-west can tell you how terrifying tornadoes can be. Now imagine a tornado made from raging fire and that's what happened in California,
The massive fire in Carr, California on July 26 brought with it a phenomena rarely seen. It's what people are dubbing the "fire-tornado" which wasn't really a tornado at all, but carried with it the winds and destruction that usually comes with a E3 tornado. The vortex of fire is so rare it doesn't even have a name and it may take a while for scientist for figure out exactly what happened and what to call it.
With winds up to 143 mph and spinning for over an hour and a half this nightmare is like nothing we've ever seen before. After ripping through the city of Redding, it is now the 6th largest fire in California history, killing 6 people and destroying 125,000 acres.
Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles says about the tern "fire tornado":
Some fire scientists would roll their eyes at the term 'fire tornado but they aren't rolling their eyes on this one.
Many people were able to capture the blazing cyclone on cameras.
A view of the #CarrFire “Firenado” from the sky https://t.co/HqIt3G1EgW— Active NorCal (@Active NorCal) 1532787767.0
How intense is the #CarrFire? It whipped a fire tornado, which happens when the air gets super heated https://t.co/2FOi9abEvq— Brian Kahn (@Brian Kahn) 1532707621.0
The fire tornado certainly has caught people's attention.
We should probably pay attention to the fire tornado: https://t.co/ukrl7SvJrs— Charles P. Pierce (@Charles P. Pierce) 1532719562.0
@CharlesPPierce dramatic pictures tell us what many of already know but those in power refuse to act upon. last few… https://t.co/XKLxOYVrWv— devin nune’s illegitimate calf (@devin nune’s illegitimate calf) 1532720414.0
But people had their doubts about the effect it would have.
@CharlesPPierce The Evangelicals will pay attention to the fire tornadoes and point out that they are God's punishm… https://t.co/Dx2l2sGy4i— elk_l (@elk_l) 1532721333.0
@CharlesPPierce And Redding is part of Shasta County, that went for Trump 64%. Just sayin'.— Chooglin AntiFa (@Chooglin AntiFa) 1532721473.0
The pictures of the aftermath are devastating.
A rare "fire tornado" devastated a California neighborhood. Here's what it was like seeing the "apocalyptic" afterm… https://t.co/mULubIVv2W— TIME (@TIME) 1533185105.0
Be safe out there. If asked to evacuate any natural disaster, please follow instructions by firefighters and law enforcement.
H/T: Time, Los Angeles Times, Buzzfeed