Iowa – After severe weather blew through on Thursday night, a fire whirl, also known as a ‘firenado’, was captured on camera in Iowa.
Aerial video captured the fire whirl spinning up from a line of fire raging through a field outside Silax, near the Iowa/Nebraska border.
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group defines fire whirls as spinning columns of hot air and gases that rise from a fire. When gases and hot air rise, they carry debris, smoke, and even fire, forming a vortex.
Tornadoes and strong hail pelted Iowa and Nebraska during strong thunderstorms on Thursday night, resulting in several lightning strikes, one of which started the fire seen in the video, according to FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar.
The video shows bright red columns of swirling fire rising from the line of fire burning the field.
Behind the line of fire, the scorched earth of the field is black, creating a stark contrast between the blue sky, black smoke, and orangeish flames.
According to the NWCG, fire whirls can range in size from over 500 feet wide to smaller, such as the one shown in the video.
In the video, the fire appears to last a long time as the fire whirl travels through it. The flames are being sucked into the vortex of the whirl.
According to the NWCG, large ‘firenadoes’ can be as strong as small tornadoes.
Fire weather warnings were in effect for much of the area last week and this week, with the National Weather Service advising residents to follow local fire instructions and limit burning.