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New York Post
17-07-2025
- Climate
- New York Post
Utah ‘firenado' with 122-mph winds leaves behind terrifying path of destruction
A surging wildfire ripping through eastern Utah wilderness over the weekend triggered a rare 'firenado', unleashing a terrifying mix of wind and flames that left one home and several other outbuildings severely damaged. The Deer Creek Fire had already burned several thousand acres just north of La Sal on Saturday when the column of flames and hot gases began spinning, creating the surreal sight of a firenado. Advertisement 'One of our firefighters captured this unusual phenomenon of a fire vortex tearing through pinyon-juniper woodland on the Deer Creek Fire, just outside of La Sal,' said officials with the Utah Bureau of Land Management. The firenado did significant damage as it wreaked havoc on a neighborhood caught in the blaze. The National Weather Service estimated that wind speeds inside the twister reached 122 mph – strong enough to rate an EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. What's worse, instead of typical tornadoes that may only spend moments to seconds blasting a neighborhood as the storm blows through, this firenado was nearly stationary, spending 12 minutes swirling its flame-infused fury. 4 On Saturday, July 12, a fire-induced tornado developed within the Deer Creek wildfire near La Sal, Utah. National Weather Service Advertisement 4 The tornado was on the ground for approximately 12 minutes from 1:03-1:15 PM MDT and remained nearly stationary. Dwellings and outbuildings in the area sustained a mix of fire and wind damage. National Weather Service 'Dwellings and outbuildings in the area sustained a mix of fire and wind damage,' said NWS meteorologists in Grand Junction, Colorado, who later surveyed the damage. 'Many of the affected structures burned after the tornado occurred, but wind damage sustained by the remaining structures resulted in the tornado being given an EF-2 rating.' Luckily, residents had already evacuated with the approaching wildfire and no one was injured, NWS officials said. Fire whirls or 'firenados' are spinning columns of hot air and gases rising up from a fire, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. When the air and gases rise, they also carry up smoke, debris, and even fire, as seen in the vortex of fire in the video. Advertisement 4 Dwellings and outbuildings in the area sustained a mix of fire and wind damage. National Weather Service 4 Many of the affected structures burned after the tornado occurred, but wind damage sustained by the remaining structures resulted in the tornado being given an EF-2 rating. National Weather Service The vortices can be as small as under one foot wide to over 500 feet wide, the NWCG said. Fire whirls on the larger side can be as strong as a tornado, as evidenced on Saturday. One of the largest and most destructive fire whirls occurred in 2018 during the Carr Fire in Redding, California, the National Weather Service said. It had wind speeds of about 143 mph, equivalent to those found in EF-3 tornadoes. Advertisement Tornadoes in any form, be it thunderstorm or wildfire-driven, are rare in Utah. The firenado was only the second twister to be given an EF-2 rating in Utah since the Enhanced Fujita scale was implemented in 2007. Prior to that, only nine other tornadoes had been rated at least an F2 on the original Fujita Scale since 1950. Meanwhile, firefighters are still battling the Deer Creek Fire, which had burned more than 15,600 acres as of Thursday morning's update. The blaze is about 7% contained. It's one of eight large wildfires burning in Utah that have scorched over 60,000 acres so far this summer.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
What is a firenado? Rare fire tornado forms with 122 mph winds as Utah blaze crosses into Colorado
A rare and powerful fire tornado or 'firenado' formed over the weekend as Utah 's Deer Creek Fire crossed into western Colorado , intensifying concerns amid an already dangerous wildfire season. The National Weather Service confirmed that the firenado , spotted near La Sal, Utah, on July 12, reached EF2 intensity with winds up to 122 mph. It is only the third tornado of that strength recorded in Utah since 2000. Doppler radar showed the fire tornado's smoke plume reaching over 16,700 feet above ground. Experts say the phenomenon formed when extreme heat from the wildfire caused air to rise rapidly, creating a spinning column of flames and smoke. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Đây có thể là thời điểm tốt nhất để giao dịch vàng trong 5 năm qua IC Markets Undo The Deer Creek Fire, which started in eastern Utah, has burned through 12,906 acres and remains just 7 percent contained. At least five structures have been destroyed, and 10 others damaged. The fire spread into Montrose County, Colorado, on Tuesday night, prompting evacuation orders and road closures. The fire tornado was captured in dramatic video footage by Utah Fire Info and other agencies. Officials say the vortex forced firefighting crews to temporarily retreat as it threw debris and caused structural damage. Live Events What are firenadoes? Fire whirls, commonly known as firenados, are not entirely unheard of but remain rare. They occur when hot air rises quickly, pulling in surrounding wind and flames to form a tornado-like column. They can spread embers far beyond the fire front, creating new ignition points and complicating firefighting efforts. Other active wildfires in Colorado include the Sowbelly Fire in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and the South Rim Fire in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. This is not the first time a fire tornado has made headlines. California's Carr Fire produced an EF3 fire tornado in 2018 with winds reaching 143 mph, killing three people. The National Weather Service issued its first-ever fire tornado warning during California's Loyalton Fire. Residents in affected areas are urged to follow all evacuation instructions and monitor local fire updates closely.
CBS News
30-04-2025
- CBS News
Claudette Stefanian
Email Claudette Claudette Stefanian joins CBS13 as a general assignment reporter. Stefanian has worked as a television news reporter up and down the state of California for the past several years and spent the last three years working as a reporter and fill-in anchor at FOX40 in Sacramento. Before that, she joined NBC7 in San Diego as a reporter just as the pandemic was taking the world by storm. Stefanian had a brief stop in Fresno and has also reported in Bakersfield. While in Bakersfield, she was frequently pulled to cover breaking news in California as a breaking news correspondent, going live every few minutes for different sister stations across the country. She has done wall-to-wall coverage on the Carr Fire and covered the tragic mass shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks. Stefanian is proud of her Armenian heritage and has spent most of her life in California. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated with a degree in rhetoric. She also attended the University of Southern California, receiving a master's degree in journalism.
