Firenadoes and Lightning: Reports Illustrate a Wild Night on the Hog Fire Near Susanville

Active NorCal Follow on Twitter July 21, 2020

While fire officials were able to reduce the reported size of the Hog Fire near Susanville from 12,000 to 8,000 acres on Tuesday morning, photos and videos of the flames overnight tell a story of wild night for firefighters battling the flames.

Firefighters, photojournalists and nearby residents were able to capture views of the fire that had built a smoke plume so large that it developed its own weather system. Reports of lightning, thunderstorms and firenadoes were prevalent from people on the front lines, and the photos show a wildfire that burned at extreme heat.

Around 8 pm on Monday evening, an atmospheric scientist specializing in wildfire plumes named Neil Lareau tweeted that the smoke over the Hog Fire had turned purocumulonimbus, meaning that it could develop its own weather. The National Weather Service confirmed lightning detected in the plume:

Here are some of the photos and videos that illustrate the dangerous fire in Lassen County:

Active NorCal Follow on Twitter July 21, 2020
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