An B次元官网网址渋ncredibly rare phenomenonB次元官网网址� during a wildfire near Lillooet was caught on video last week.

The fire whirl, or B次元官网网址渇ire tornado,B次元官网网址� was caught on video by an overnight ground personnel responding to the Downton Lake wildfire on Aug. 17. Fire whirls are B次元官网网址渋ntensely rotating columns of gas and flames,B次元官网网址� BC Wildfire Service explained in a series of tweets Tuesday (Aug. 22).

A cold front passed through the province Aug. 18 after several days of dry hot weather and when it passed through the Gun Lake area in the Bendor Range Complex fires near Lillooet it resulted in the B次元官网网址渇ire tornado.B次元官网网址�

The B次元官网网址渦nique conditions and extreme fire behaviourB次元官网网址� are not experienced in the majority of B.C. wildfires, but BC Wildfire Service explained the conditions that led to the B次元官网网址渇ire tornado.B次元官网网址�

There were strong winds from the southwest, resulting in significant fire growth and intensity, the relative humidity value of 14 per cent at 4 a.m. that BC Wildfire said was B次元官网网址渋ncredibly rare to see overnightB次元官网网址� and a reduced measure of how much moisture was in the air of -11 C.

BC Wildfire Service said it was a significant drop B次元官网网址� 20 C lower than the day prior to the cold front.

B次元官网网址淲ith this combination of conditions and fire behaviour, fire intensity was more extreme during this overnight period, reaching intensities that hadnB次元官网网址檛 been seen even during the day.B次元官网网址�

With the combination of high fire intensity, strong winds and air mass instability, it led to the formation of a fire whirl over Gun Lake.

Another important factor in the formation of whirls is adequate vorticity, a measure of the atmosphereB次元官网网址檚 tendency to spin or rotate. Complex terrain, downslope winds and the passing cold front provided the necessary conditions for the formation of this fire whirl over Gun Lake.

B次元官网网址� BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo)

lauren.collins@blackpress.ca
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