Every American has their perfect nightmare when it comes to natural disasters, based almost exclusively on where they reside.
If you live on the West Coast, you’re just waiting for “The Big One.” If you live on the actual westernmost coast of the United States via Hawaii, you’ve got tidal waves to worry about. If you live in the northeast, you’ve got nasty blizzards. And if you live on the East Coast, you’ve got lovely named hurricanes to prep for.
And then there are those Americans blessed enough to live in the great American Midwest, who have absolutely terrifying tornadoes to contend with.
Well, for any American, regardless of domicile location, here’s a new fear to chew on: the almost CGI-looking “firenado.”
A “firenado,” “fire whirl” or “fire vortex” is described by fire detection company SmokeD as “a spinning column of fire that can appear during a wildfire or even during a controlled burn. It starts when rising hot air from the fire begins to twist, forming a vortex that pulls flames and burning material into a vertical spiral.”
The company added that the rare phenomena “can be small, just a few feet tall, or massive, reaching hundreds of feet into the air.”
A recent viral video from Deer Creek, Utah, shared by a firefighter firmly fits into the latter category:
Other videos of the fire vortex and its path of destruction swiftly made it to social media.
Firenado Erupts Over SE Utah A colossal, fiery vortex—aptly christened a “firenado”—erupted with breathtaking ferocity over the Deer Creek Fire, stealing the spotlight in a blaze of glory. #utwx #cowx @danpopeweather
Videos: Bureau of Land Management & various organizations pic.twitter.com/pkHkb8DATj
— Dan Pope (@weathercaster) July 16, 2025
According to Fox Weather, the fire vortex was the result of some controlled burning being performed by the Utah Bureau of Land Management.
The National Weather Service classified this fire vortex as an EF-2 rating on its Enhanced Fujita scale, which means this particular vortex reached wind speeds ranging from 111 to 135 miles per hour.
Have you ever seen a tornado?
“Dwellings and outbuildings in the area sustained a mix of fire and wind damage,” the NWS noted, adding that the fire vortex remained for about 12 minutes. “Many of the affected structures burned after the tornado occurred, but wind damage sustained by the remaining structures resulted in the tornado being given an EF-2 rating.
“Residents were evacuated prior to the tornado and no injuries were sustained by fire personnel.”
Interestingly enough, SmokeD disputed the classification of these natural phenomena as “tornadoes” — though that may be more a matter of semantics.
“They look like a tornado made of fire, but they are not true tornadoes. Still, some fire whirls are strong enough to cause damage like a tornado,” the company noted.
Adding to the spectacle of it all, Fox noted just how rare this was — especially in the Beehive State.
“Tornadoes in any form, be it thunderstorm or wildfire-driven, are rare in Utah,” Fox reported.
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