The Mosquito Fire raged and swirled in the Tahoe National Forest as the sun set on Thursday, as captured by AlertWildfire cameras. On Little Bald Mountain, cameras captured a powerful pyrocumulus cloud churning like a vortex.
Often referred to as firestorms, wildfires can create their own weather. During a fire, heat rises rapidly from the ground, creating a vacuum. The resulting updraft is powerful enough to carry debris, form a firenado, and create its own lightning.
15 minute timelapse to 7:55pm with column rotation on #MosquitoFire 9/8/2022 #CAwx @FireWeatherLab @nplareau #firewx https://t.co/L2KVDmTJqv pic.twitter.com/CGrqikn1AJ
— Rob Mayeda (@RobMayeda) September 9, 2022
For more on this story, please consider these sources:
- Mosquito Fire in Placer, El Dorado: Homes burn, residents flee as flames surge over American River Sacramento Bee
- Mosquito Fire jumps American River into El Dorado County, threatens homes KCRA News
- Unhealthy air quality likely to continue | Serving Carson City for over 150 years Nevada Appeal
- Mosquito Fire in Tahoe National Forest rages in astonishing footage SFGATE
- California Wildfires | Extreme growth for Mosquito Fire burning in Placer, El Dorado County ABC10