Freak Fire Tornado Warning Issued as Spinning Blazes Sweep California | 22 Words

Horrifying pictures and videos have gone viral online of a freak fire tornado in California. Now, experts have spoken out about why this rare phenomenon is so worrying...

2020 really feels like a real life horror movie...

And the weekend's events seem to have just topped the whole thing off.

On Saturday, August 15, there was a strange act of mother nature in California.

The rare phenomenon prompted a terrifying warning to be issued.

Alarming pictures quickly began surfacing on social media.

What of, you ask? A fire tornado.

It's the first time in history a warning has been issued like this.

And residents in nearby areas have been left petrified.

The occurrence happened in Lassen County, California, twenty-five miles north of Reno.

via: Getty Images

 And it believed to have derived from a 20,000-acre wildfire in Northern California, that started on Aug. 14.

This is not your typical tornado, though...

via: Getty Images

 Meteorologist Dawn Johnson told The New York Times. "‘It’s not like a typical tornado where it happens, everything clears out, and you safely go and investigate."

She continued:

via: Getty Images

 "In this case, there’s a massive wildfire burning in the same location, so the logistics are a lot more complicated."

So, what exactly does a fire tornado consist of?

via: Getty Images

 Well, there are multiple components that must come together for fire tornadoes to form.

There must be a combination of unstable wind patterns, uneven terrain, and the intense heat from a fire.

via: Getty Images

 On top of this, elements like gas being released from burning vegetation serve as fuel for the tornadoes as well.

On Saturday afternoon, the Weather Service issued a warning about a possible “fire-induced tornado" from the Loyalton Wildfire in parts of Lassen County.

The wildfire “exploded most impressively" on Saturday “with a very large pyrocumulus and reports of fire tornadoes," the Weather Service said. “Due to the possibility of very strong fire-generated winds and extreme fire behavior with danger to fire personnel, a tornado warning was issued to heighten awareness in the area of the fire."

As of Sunday...

via: Getty Images

 The wildfire believed to be the root cause was said to be 5 percent contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Following the warning...

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for multiple Northern California counties.

Of course, it wasn't long before pictures and videos started emerging on social media.

And to say they are terrifying is an understatement. 2020 really has put us all through the wringer, hasn't it?

An absolutely terrifying sight.

We hope everyone in the affected areas is safe and well.