A terrifying fire tornado has been caught on camera in California by the US Forest Service. The rare weather phenomenon appeared over the California-Oregon border last month as wildfires broke out as a result of extreme hot weather and drought. Experts from the US Forest Service terrifyingly described the fire tornado as a "spinning vortex column of ascending hot air and gases rising from a fire." [[facebookwidget||https://www.facebook.com/KlamathNF/posts/3046479408962702]] The clip, which you can view below, was filmed on June 29, and shared on Facebook in a post made by the US Forest Service. As you can see, the video shows a swirling vortex of air, fire, cascading dust and debris around vehicles and diggers as firefighters attempt to put out the flames. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/NWSMedford/status/1412800293541007365]] Rachel Smith, a spokesperson for the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KlamathNF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Klamath National Forest Service</a>, uploaded the footage and captioned the post: "This is the type of extreme fire behavior that firefighters were facing during [the] initial and extended attack of the Tennant Fire. "This video was shot during [an] extended attack on Tuesday, June 29th." A number of Facebook users have since taken to the comments to react to the video's contents and commend first responders for their courageous efforts to tackle the conflagration. <img class="wp-image-1263117225 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/07/Screenshot-2021-07-10-at-15.23.03-1.png" alt="A Facebook comment." width="1137" height="208" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]] For instance, one person wrote: "As the mother of a Forest Service firefighter, this scares me to death!" <img class="wp-image-1263117226 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/07/Screenshot-2021-07-10-at-15.23.07-1.png" alt="A Facebook comment." width="1123" height="158" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]] A second penned: "Horrible conditions!! So dangerous for our firefighters. My prayers and thanks to you all." <img class="wp-image-1263117227 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/07/Screenshot-2021-07-10-at-15.23.13-1.png" alt="A Facebook comment." width="1143" height="193" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]] Then this person stated: "You firefighters put your lives on the line to save our lives!! Be safe and God Bless you all are heroes!! Thanks." <img class="wp-image-1263117228 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2021/07/Screenshot-2021-07-10-at-15.23.18-1.png" alt="A Facebook comment." width="1126" height="223" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]] Finally, another Facebook user wrote: "I cannot fathom how a human being can stand in the face of that horror. Firefighters are heroes, & that doesn't begin to give them the credit they deserve. [sic]" In an interview with the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-08/powerful-fire-tornado-caught-on-video-at-tennant-fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Times</a>, Captain Tom Stokesberry of the Tennant fire's incident team stated that this was one of the first times a fire tornado has registered on radar and been captured on video. [[facebookwidget||https://www.facebook.com/KlamathNF/posts/3047189588891684]] Fire tornados can occur as a result of wildfires heating air so much that a giant cloud develops. When this is met with strong winds, the flame clouds can rotate, resulting in a fire tornado or fire whirl. <h6>Featured Image Credit: Pexels/Tim Eiden</h6>

Terrifying moment rare fire tornado rips through California is caught on video

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