No, It’s Not AI or the Apocalypse — That “Firenado” in Utah Was Very Real
This week, a jaw-dropping video out of southeastern Utah had social media buzzing. It showed what looked like a swirling vortex of flame rising from the landscape—a twisting column of fire churning against the sky like something out of a Hollywood disaster flick. Some called it a “firenado.” Others said it must be AI-generated. And a few even hinted at end-times prophecy.
The FIRE TORNADO had winds up to 122 mph associated with the Deer Creek Fire near La Sal in San Juan County. The fire is at 12,906 acres and is only 7% contained. It spread into western Colorado on Tuesday night.
Let’s clear the air—literally and figuratively.
Yes, that fire-induced vortex was real. It occurred on July 12 near the Deer Creek Fire in southeastern Utah and was captured by the Bureau of Land Management and we were able to obtain the unbelievable footage (see below). The footage is striking, no doubt about it. And while “firenado” might sound like clickbait, what we saw wasn’t a figment of CGI or sci-fi—it was a natural phenomenon, rooted in the basic laws of atmospheric physics.
But let’s pump the brakes for a moment on the term “firenado.”
What is a Firenado, Really?
The word “firenado” isn’t technically a meteorological term—it’s a catchy portmanteau of fire and tornado that’s taken off in public and media conversations. It’s fine for headlines and hashtags, but if we’re being scientifically precise, what most people are calling a firenado is typically one of two things:
- A fire whirl – a spinning column of hot gases, smoke, and embers created directly by intense heat at the surface.
- A fire-induced tornado (or pyrotornado) – a rarer beast, formed not just by surface fire behavior, but by the dynamics of towering, fire-fed clouds known as pyrocumulonimbus.
The Utah event was most likely a fire whirl, based on what we’ve seen in the video. According to the U.S. Forest Service, a fire whirl is defined as:
“A spinning vortex column of ascending hot air and gases rising from a fire and carrying aloft smoke, debris, and flame. Fire whirls range in size from less than one foot to more than 500 feet in diameter.”
These can form quickly when intense heat from a wildfire causes air to rapidly rise. If there’s any nearby spin—or what meteorologists call vorticity—in the atmosphere, that rising air can tighten and stretch into a visible column. Think of it like pulling a string on a spinning top: the more you stretch it upward, the faster it spins.
Not All Vortices Are Created Equal
Now, here’s where we can get a little nerdy. In 2018, a true fire-induced tornado developed during California’s Carr Fire near Redding. This wasn’t just a whirl of surface fire—it was a genuine tornadic vortex produced inside a pyrocumulonimbus cloud. It had wind speeds over 140 mph and was as wide as three football fields. It had structure, organization, and dynamics similar to a classic tornado on the Great Plains.
That’s what researchers often call a pyrotornado—a tornado spawned by a fire-generated thunderstorm cloud, not just the fire at the surface.
In 2020, meteorologists explained that pyrotornadoes form when:
- Fire-generated heat produces a pyrocumulonimbus cloud (basically, a thunderstorm born from fire).
- That cloud pulls in rotating air from the surface.
- Strong updrafts and released heat cause that spin to stretch vertically and strengthen—exactly how normal tornadoes form.
The difference? Instead of warm, moist Gulf air feeding a thunderstorm, it’s the fire itself acting as the engine.
Fire, Heat, and the Limits of Control
The western U.S. is no stranger to this kind of extreme fire behavior. In July 2017, a large fire whirl developed in Santa Barbara County, California, whipping flames and debris high into the air. These events are dangerous, unpredictable, and hard to suppress. The combination of dry fuels, high heat, and complex wind patterns can set the stage for volatile interactions between fire and atmosphere.
And while fire whirls are more common than fire-induced tornadoes, both are serious threats to firefighters and communities. They’re not just visual spectacles—they’re deadly reminders of what happens when extreme heat and unstable air meet a combustible landscape.
So… Should We Call It a Firenado?
Sure, if it helps get your attention—but just know that behind the buzzword is a spectrum of complex fire-atmosphere interactions.
- “Firenado”: Great for TikTok.
- Fire whirl: More likely what you saw in Utah.
- Fire-induced tornado / pyrotornado: A true atmospheric tornado created by a fire-fed thunderstorm—rare, but powerful.
And no, it wasn’t AI. It wasn’t fake. It was nature doing what it does when energy, heat, and spin align in just the right way. It was science at its most terrifying and awe-inspiring intersection.
So the next time someone says “firenado,” just nod, smile, and say: “Actually, that might’ve been a fire whirl. Want to see the radar data?”