What is a firenado and how does it work

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Firenadoes have been in the news in recent weeks in California and Missouri after a record dry winter created the perfect conditions for wildfires.

Known by scientists as a fire whirl, a firenado is a phenomena that has been documented for more than 100 years. It occurs when ground-level winds come in contact with fire and whip it up into the air, creating a tornado-shaped spiral of flames.

The Great Chicago Fire in 1871, for example, was spread by a fire whirl throwing flaming chunks of wood in all directions.

While some fire whirls dissipate after a couple of minutes, others can sustain themselves for longer, dramatically enlarging a wildfire's path of destruction.

The deadliest fire whirl on record occurred in Japan in 1923. It formed after the Great Kanto 7.9 earthquake and swept through an area where survivors of the quake had gathered. Thousands were killed in just minutes.

This animation explains how fire whirls form and spread.

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