An eerie fire vortex was spotted spinning inside the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles on Friday night.
A fire vortex, also known as a “firenado,” is a rotating column of hot air and gases rising from a fire, according to the National Wildfire Coordination Group.
As the air and gases rise, they also carry smoke, debris, and even fire, as seen in the fire swirl in the video.
Vortices can range from less than a foot wide to more than 500 feet wide, according to the NWCG.
A fire vortex on the larger side can be as strong as a small tornado.
The massive fire whirlwind, with wind speeds up to that of an EF-2 tornado, uprooted trees, overturned vehicles and tore roofs off homes, the U.S. Forest Service said.
The largest firestorm in recent years occurred during the Carr Fire in Redding, California, in 2018, according to the National Weather Service. Wind speeds were approximately 143 mph, equivalent to an EF-3 tornado.
According to the USFS, the most destructive fire whirlwind on record occurred in Tokyo in 1923.
Approximately 38,000 people died within 15 minutes due to fires that broke out across the city after the earthquake.
Stay up to date with NYP's coverage of horrific fires in the Los Angeles area
FOX Weather Meteorologist Ali Sarsarali said the fire swirl is more similar to a dust devil than a tornado because tornadoes are caused by supercell thunderstorms, while dust devils are caused by light winds on clear skies. did.
The historic wildfires that occurred in California in 2025 continue to rage across Los Angeles.
The fire killed at least 11 people, destroyed at least 10,000 homes and businesses, and destroyed more than 29,000 acres of land.
