PHOENIX — As fire season is underway, here's a heads-up about another very destructive and dangerous element of a fire.
When a blaze is large enough and hot enough, the heat creates huge towers of twisting air. This column then starts to spin, pulling dirt, debris and fire into the vortex, making it appear like a tornado of fire.
>> Live, local, breaking. Download the 12News app
A firenado has many nicknames including "fire whirl", "fire devil" and "fire twister".
Unlike a tornado, firenadoes form from conditions closer to the ground rather than dropping down from a cloud. The recipe for a firenado is very hot dry air, mixed with fire.
As heat rises in an area, it begins to form columns.
As more hot dry air continues to get sucked into the column, it begins to spin. While the air continues to rise and spin, it moves closer toward the center of the column. It's the same as how a merry-go-round works.
The spinning air pulls fire into its rotation, the fire twists and turns with the column, forming a firenado.
Usually, they last only a few minutes, however, when a firenado grows above 3000 feet it can contain winds over 120 mph and last more than 20 minutes.
In 2018, a firenado reaching 18,000 feet into the sky was captured on camera in California during the Carr Fire.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
More ways to get 12News
On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
On your streaming device: Download 12News+ to your streaming device
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.