Eerie 'firenado' spins up as LA wildfires destroy more than 29k acres of land

A fire whirl was observed during the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. Commonly known as 'firenados,' these whirls consist of hot air and gases that also lift smoke and debris.

They range from under one foot to over 500 feet in width. Some larger whirls can have wind speeds comparable to small tornadoes, damaging trees and buildings. A notable fire whirl occurred in 2018 during California's Carr Fire, reaching wind speeds of 143 mph. The deadliest fire whirl happened in Tokyo in 1923, killing around 38,000 people.