Had you even heard of a "fire tornado"?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (205108)
Walnut Creek, California
July 28, 2018 11:33am CST
Driving to my evening gig at 8 PM yesterday evening was eerie. I could see Mt. Diablo, but not really. It was shrouded in a brownish haze. When the moon rose, it was red.
Wild fires are raging through Northern and Southern California right now, taking lives and razing entire neighborhoods.
On the radio news yesterday I heard for the first time about "fire tornadoes," swirling columns of fire stretching from the ground to the smoke overhead.
Apparently they're caused by intense heat rising toward the sky and cooler air rushing in to fill the void.
It's a strange time in California. Our "official" fire season doesn't start for another month. Had you ever heard of a fire tornado before? I had not.
19 people like this
18 responses
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
28 Jul 18
Mom used to tell us that fire creates its own wind. Which is totally understandable since the heat from a fire is much much hotter than the heat from normal weather conditions. So, when you mix that heat from the fire with that from the weather you can expect a tornado. It is terrifying to say the least. Even the small fire that occurred at my place created its own wind and with as close as the houses are to each other it would be extremely easy for the other homes to catch fire. I was terrified through the whole situation. Finally I passed out at my boyfriend's place which was across the street and three doors away from my house. I still have nightmares about the fire and everything that went on during the blaze. It can't be any better up in your area...in fact it has to be tons worse. All I can do is pray that the fire will be gotten under control soon and that not too much more property is lost to the blaze. I'm supposed to go to Gilroy on Tuesday and I'm not too sure if I can handle the trip north from Paso Robles. Just a small fire in a bbq in my neighborhood has me in a panic, I'm not sure what a big fire would do to me mentally.
3 people like this
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
29 Jul 18
@TheHorse The way fires have been in California it's the case of never knowing and not taking things for granted. About the time I relax a bit from the fire that destroyed my home another fire starts in the general area and things get tense again. I'll be so glad when the rains come again!!!! But until then I am very uncomfortable about our short trip to Gilroy from Paso Robles this week.
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
30 Jul 18
@TheHorse Actually Paso Robles and Gilroy are two areas that are very hot and extremely dry so it would be easy for a fire to start. It seems like every other week we hear on the news about another fire in the Paso Robles area. I'm a nervous wreck whenever I hear the word fire, and as I keep saying I should be seeing a professional about my reactions and my trauma from losing everything in the fire. The neighborhood that I live in had two fires within two weeks of each other. One was caused by a battery on the man's cart overcharging and flaming out. Then mine was caused by the sparks from the power pole two weeks later. It's been quiet since then (knock on wood) and hopefully we won't have more blazes to burn down more places. Fortunately we have enough people living back in the area that we have some fire protection and fire fighters, but that still isn't enough. Of course it never is enough when you think of it...it doesn't matter where you live or the conditions around you. If a fire gets a toe hold you have a heck of a battle on your hands trying to save your home and whatever possessions you have.
I remember living in Napa and the fires we would have up there. Even at age 6 when we finally moved away from the area I remember the horrific fires that would ravage the area and how my Mom would be up all night watching the blaze and the car would be full of our dearest possessions and clothing so that if the fire got too close we could get into the car and RUN. When we moved down to Los Osos we got away from the fires and the terror from them. In fact I don't remember any fires for years and years after we moved to the area. It's been just recently that the fires have gotten bad.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
28 Jul 18
No I haven`t. So much burns in Ca. I often wonder how anything is left?
Stay safe.
3 people like this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
29 Jul 18
@TheHorse I have friends near Mariposa/Yosemite who have been evacuated because of the fires there.
@rebelann (111073)
• El Paso, Texas
28 Jul 18
What a scary place to live. I am so glad I'm just this side of New Mexico, it's as close as I want to be to any kind of fire.
I hope the Great Spirit grants CA lots of rain to help put out the fires and of course once rain begins really falling there will be mud slides, I just gotta wonder what the GS is trying to tell us.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
29 Jul 18
I have heard of them, and they are scary.
Are we really not in official fire season? That's horrifying, considering the number of fires we've already had.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205108)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 Jul 18
@spiderdust Whoa. Looks kind of close. Glad the road was not closed down.
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
30 Jul 18
@TheHorse I'm not in San Jose today, so I'm not sure. However this is a fire that we drove past on 101S last Thursday.
1 person likes this
@Starmaiden (9311)
• Canada
28 Jul 18
I have never heard of it. It sounds frightening. I hope you are safe from the havoc. So many things happening around the globe these days.
2 people like this
@eliza_godinez12 (5567)
• Philippines
29 Jul 18
I have never heard of this before. That was so scary.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29233)
• Eugene, Oregon
28 Jul 18
That is a new one to me too. The entire west coast seems caught up in fires or threats of fire.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Jul 18
I have never seen or heard of fire tornadoes before.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Jul 18
@TheHorse I do not watch news so I do not know.
@arunima25 (85267)
• Bangalore, India
23 Aug 18
I have never heard of it. It sounds devastating. Hope that things are under control by now.
@debjani1 (7207)
•
28 Sep 18
No even I never heard of it. It's horrible. Hope everything goes well in CALIFORNIA.