Wildfires in Carlsbad, San Marcos and other parts of California have spawned several firenadoes – but what is a firenado? And how does it form?
A firenado is a dangerous column of fire that sucks in debris and spews out hot embers.
According to AccuWeather, firenadoes happen when ground-level winds come in contact with fire and whip it into the air, creating a shocking spiral of bright red and orange.
Firenadoes can enlarge a wildfire’s path of destruction as it spews out debris and embers.
Most firenadoes are up to ten stories high and ten feet wide. Usually, they only last a couple of minutes before they dissipate.
Dramatic #photo Fire tornado pushing through neighborhood in San Marcos. pic.twitter.com/8zYKP6LYq6
— Tara Finestone (@tarawallis) May 15, 2014
Calif. firefighters face firenadoes as wildfires spread – PHOTOS: http://t.co/CTHDZs96cM pic.twitter.com/DX25AD1Mph
— ABC News (@ABC) May 15, 2014
Winds, wildfire spawn 'firenado' in Southern California #CarlsbadFire @ShepNewsTeam | http://t.co/2MWQxwh0jh pic.twitter.com/3UdylUCWOz
— Fox News Video (@foxnewsvideo) May 14, 2014
