As if they aren’t already facing enough, firefighters in California also could encounter fire tornadoes — a rare but dangerous phenomenon in which wildfires create their own weather. The National Weather Service warned Tuesday that the combination of high winds and severely dry conditions have created a “particularly dangerous situation” in which

Fire tornadoes are a rare and frightening phenomenon that can be produced by wildfires. These fiery whirlwinds of flames form when gusty winds interact with intense heat columns rising from the fire,

The National Weather Service warned Tuesday that the combination of high winds and severely dry conditions have created a “particularly dangerous situation” in which any new fire could explode in size.

Wildfires tearing through Southern California have already burned tens of thousands of acres and structures down. Now, another threat is facing the area: fire tornadoes.