Tri-Cities wildfires whip up fire ‘tornadoes’

Amid all the wildfires we’ve had this year already in the Tri-Cities, there’s also been some pretty spectacular sights.

One of those is a fire devil — a column of superheated air and flames that shoots into the sky. They’re sometimes called fire tornadoes or firewhirls.

The Weather Channel says they’re becoming more commonly seen as smartphones reach the front lines of wildfires.

This photo from the Locust Grove fire southwest of Kennewick shows a fire devil reaching hundreds of feet high. Brenda Weide took the shot from her home off Clodfelter Road in Benton County.

That fire blackened about 2,300 acres and was contained Tuesday.

Fire devils can look like more smoke than fire, according to the Weather Channel. As more wind hits the flames, the tornado grows and pulls fire upward, but sometimes the smoke is the most dramatic part.

It doesn’t take a big fire to start one either.

Firefighters battling a small grass fire Tuesday in Franklin County caught on camera a sputtering fire devil mixed with loose grass and hay.

The wildfire, which was near Ice Harbor Road and Jessica Road northeast of Pasco, burned about 100 acres.

Fire devils are becoming better understood as more people record them when they happen.

Some people even are creating them.

Wouldn’t try that, though. Burn bans remain in effect across the region.

This story was originally published July 25, 2018 at 1:42 PM.