A terrifying “fire tornado” has been captured spinning in Los Angeles as the Californian city continues to be ravaged by deadly wildfires.
The “firenado” was spotted around 10:45 PM local time on Friday in the Pacific Palisades area, where thousands of homes have already been destroyed due to the ongoing wildfires.
Haunting footage of the fire tornado has circulated on social media and local news coverage in the worst-hit regions of LA.
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This phenomenon was caught on camera whirling near the perimeter of the Palisades fires.
Flaming twisters occur when winds converge during a fire, creating a powerful and dangerous spectacle.
These fire tornadoes can grow to be around 152 meters wide at their peak intensity.
True fire tornadoes are considered “rare” and are always associated with extreme fire behavior, according to the US Library of Congress.
“They are also referred to as ‘pyrogenetic tornadoes,’ which describes how they form, featuring a tornado-strength vortex similar to a traditional tornado,” an article on the Library of Congress website reads.
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Firenados have also been reported during bushfires in Australia.
One incident in Western Australia tore across 6.2 kilometers of scrubland in just 15 minutes.
The deadly firestorm in LA has been intensified by the powerful Santa Ana winds blowing in from the southern California interior.
The death toll from the Eaton and Palisades fires has now climbed to 16, as reported by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said on Saturday.
Five of the fatalities appear to be from the Palisades Fire, while 11 deaths have been recorded in the Eaton Fire, according to the office’s records.
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More than 100,000 residents remain under evacuation orders as multiple fires rage across LA.
The coastal Palisades Fire is at least 11 percent contained but is now moving inland toward Brentwood and other communities near the Getty Centre and UCLA.
The Eaton Fire in Altadena and other blazes in the county continue to burn as well.
Fire officials are responding to at least four fires in the region, including the Eaton, Hurst, Kenneth, and Palisades fires.
These fires have spread to roughly 38,276 acres (154,89 hectares) combined.
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