Video emerged on Thursday showing a rare fire tornado forming in Butte County, California, amid the largest wildfire of the 2024 season. In the time-lapse video, shared by ALERTCalifornia, you can see the tornado — sometimes called a fire vortex — form due to the intensity of the blaze, dubbed Park Fire.
Experts say fire tornadoes are created when intense rising heat combines with rotating wind, which creates a tornado-like vortex that sucks in debris. How a fire tornado differs from a regular tornado is that firenadoes form from conditions closer to the ground rather than dropping down from a cloud. What's more, they're believed to only form during intense wildfires.
The Park Fire is the biggest California wildfire this season
In a press release, the Butte County District Attorney's Office revealed that the fire started on July 25 when a Chico man pushed a burning car set into a gully in Bidwell Park. Authorities say they arrested 42-year-old Ronnie Dean Stout II and will charge him with arson.
According to a wildfire database hosted by the U.S. Forest Service, the Park Fire has spread and burned more than 178,000 acres of land in Butte and Tehama counties as well as some 134 structures. Currently, officials say firefighters have only contained about three percent of the fire.
Officials say what's causing the fire to burn so rapidly is dry grass and brush in the area. Also, they expressed concerns that the current high temperatures in the area as well as forecasted thunderstorms will add to the fire's extreme behavior. They anticipate the fire to spread farther north and east, and may also impact the Ishi Wilderness area within the Lassen National Forest.
Additionally, California's governor, Gavin Newsom, announced on Friday that his office secured a federal grant to support the ongoing response to the blaze. Currently, more than 1,600 personnel equipped with six helicopters and 142 engines are battling the blaze. In the announcement, his office said more than 3,500 people had to evacuate their homes.
Compared to other wildfires managed by state services, Park Fire is almost five times larger, according to CalFire. The second largest wildfire, dubbed Lake Fire, started on July 5 and has since spread to approximately 38,664 acres. However, firefighters contained 90 percent since the fire started.
