fire whirl

[ fahyuhr wurl, hwurl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Meteorology.

a tornadolike phenomenon created when turbulent air rapidly rising from the site of burning, as in a forest fire, sucks flaming gases, embers, and other fiery debris up into a twisting column, sometimes hundreds of feet in height: Compare fire tornado ( def ).
The fire whirl seen in this video occurred during a fire that has claimed 1,200 acres south of the dam.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of fire whirl¹

First recorded in 1950–55

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A fire whirl — sometimes called a fire tornado — is a “spinning column of fire” that forms when intense heat and turbulent winds combine, according to the National Park Service.

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A fire whirl is generated when hot air surges upward and begins to spin.

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The fire whirl, sometimes called a fire tornado, and short-range spotting were the result of “dry, receptive fuels and erratic winds from intense surface heating,” the Fire Department’s Air Operations Section said in a tweet.

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In September, evacuations were ordered in Old Station, as strong winds created a “fire whirl,” a tornado-like phenomenon that can fling flaming embers miles ahead of it.

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The blaze generated a massive fire whirl over the weekend that sent smoke and flames aloft.

From

fireweed FireWire

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