A wildfire threat we're not dealing with

Mother Jones -As a warming world causes larger, more frequent, and more intense wildfires, fire-driven thunderstorm events are on the rise in places—including Texas, Portugal, South Africa, and Argentina—where they have never occurred before. Mike Flannigan, director of the Canadian Partnership for Wildland Fire Science at the University of Alberta, says that pyroCbs seem to be on the rise because warmer temperatures are likely producing more intense fires with more vigorous plumes of smoke, black carbon, and water vapor, all of which increase the likelihood of pyroCbs.

Whatever the reason, these episodes can wreak havoc on fire-suppression strategies. Flannigan says that pyroCbs fires are extremely hot and chaotic, especially when the plume collapses. Winds can reach the speed of a tornado. Embers shoot in all directions—in some cases up to three miles. That means sending firefighters in to fight them on the ground is impossible, according to Flannigan. Winds can reach the speed of a tornado. Embers shoot in all directions—in some cases up to three miles. That means sending firefighters in to fight them on the ground is impossible.

“PyroCbs like the one that was associated with the Carr fire in California in 2018 can be catastrophic because they can generate tornado-strength vortexes,” says Flannigan.