A rare and mesmerizing ‘fire devil’ was captured on video Saturday in the midst of Portugal’s months-long battle with wildfires.
This natural phenomenon is a kind of tornado of flames. It occurs when fire, dust and wind combine in the air to create a blazing funnel.
Fire tornados can start in conditions where hot, dry air is rising rapidly, which, in turn, creates vertical columns of hot air. As more hot air is pulled into the column, a swirling effect is caused. The fire tornado then captures ash, flammable debris and embers, Live Science explains.