'Fire tornado' reached 143 mph as it caused path of destruction in scorched California
A fire whirl spawned by the Carr Fire generated wind speeds of up to 143 mph – the equivalent to an EF-3 tornado – causing a wave of destruction.
The National Weather Service and Cal Fire’s Serious Accident Review team, announced on Thursday that they were conducting a storm damage survey regarding the whirl which occurred a week ago in Redding, Calif.
The rotating column of fire, induced by intense rising heat and turbulent winds, caused power line towers to collapse, uprooted several trees and removed tree bark.
Pictures released by NWS Sacramento showed the scorched area resembling an apocalyptic wasteland.
Neil Lareau, assistant professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno, told the Los Angeles Times he estimated that the whirl was around 500 yards in diameter and said the event was rare.'
“It was definitely a massive one, and that just speaks to how intense the heating was.
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