The York Fire was mapped at roughly 125 square miles on Tuesday, with 23% containment, making it the largest wildfire of the season in California.
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.
The vortexes — which can be anywhere from a few feet tall to several hundred feet high, with varying rotational speeds — were spotted Sunday on the north end of the York Fire. “While these can be fascinating to observe they are a very dangerous natural phenomena that can occur during wildfires,” the park service wrote.
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