Europe grapples with fire‑tornado wildfires as heatwave intensifies

Summer heatwave breaking temperature and dryness records across Europe has fueled extensive wildfires in France, Spain and Greece. Scientists have reported the emergence of fire‑tornadoes, also called pyrotornados, where intense heat and strong winds create rotating columns of flame and smoke.

Fire‑tornado researcher James Urban, adjunct professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, explained that wind interacting with terrain and fire shape generates a vortex that can throw burning debris ahead of the fire front, increasing intensity and posing a serious danger to firefighters. Researchers at the institute reproduced the vortices in laboratory conditions to study the phenomenon.