Fire Tornado Sucks Up Fire Hose from B.C. Firefighters

The Incredible Fire Tornado That Sucked Up a Fire Hose

Firefighters have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Not only do they battle intense flames and thick smoke, but they often face additional hazards like extreme weather and collapsing structures. In the summer of 2018, a group of firefighters in British Columbia encountered a very unique and baffling phenomenon while working to contain a wildfire - a fire tornado that literally sucked up their fire hose!

Battling the Wildfires

The summer of 2018 was a particularly brutal wildfire season in British Columbia. Over 2,000 fires burned across the province, torching close to 13,000 square kilometres of land. With hot, dry, and windy conditions, firefighters had their work cut out for them trying to control the multitude of blazes.

On August 19th, a fire crew was dispatched to combat a 300 hectare wildfire burning near Vanderhoof, a small rural municipality located about an hour west of Prince George. Little did they know the extreme weather event they would encounter that day.

The Fire Tornado Forms

As the firefighters worked to set up a water pump and unfurl their 1.5 inch fire hose, they noticed a nearby whirlwind beginning to stir up the smoke and flames. Within seconds, this whirlwind intensified into a raging fire tornado, provoked by the extreme weather conditions and heat from the burning landscape.

Fire tornadoes, also sometimes called fire whirls or fire devils, occur when rising heat and turbulent wind conditions interact. As hot air from a wildfire rises quickly into the atmosphere, cooler surrounding air rushes in to replace it. This creates a swirling vortex of wind and flames.

The Hose Gets Sucked Away

The crew looked on in shock as the fire tornado strengthened before their eyes, its winds whipping the smoke and debris into a hypnotizing dance. As they scrambled to turn on their hose line, disaster struck - the powerful fire tornado suddenly sucked their running fire hose straight off the ground and high up into its vortex!

The incredulous firefighters could scarcely believe their eyes as over 150 feet of charged 1.5 inch fire hose writhed like a living creature within the fiery twister. The intense winds twisted and pulled the heavy hose taught like a toy. Despite desperately holding onto the hose line, the firefighters struggled to regain control as the fire tornado continued to inhale their hose.

Regaining Control

For over a minute, the out-of-control fire hose sprayed wildly, dragged around in erratic circles by the fire tornado's intense winds. As burning debris pelted them, the firefighters dug their heels in and slowly managed to reel the hose back in, hand over hand. Finally, they succeeded in anchoring it safely to their pump truck once more.

In a fortunate stroke of luck, the fire tornado dissipated almost as quickly as it had sparked. Within moments, the winds died down and the fire crew were able to fully regain control. Aside from some very frazzled nerves, the firefighters emerged unscathed from the bizarre encounter.

Why Firefighters Fear Fire Tornadoes

This nerve-wracking incident clearly highlights why fire tornadoes are both mesmerizing and menacing. These whirling vortices have perplexed and imperiled firefighters across the globe.

Unpredictable Nature

The sheer spontaneity of fire tornadoes make them extremely hazardous for firefighters. These fiery twisters can spontaneously form without warning, as they did to the Vanderhoof crew. Their capricious winds may rapidly shift in strength or direction, dramatically impacting a fire.

Powerful Winds

The potent winds inside fire tornadoes pose major issues. As demonstrated in Vanderhoof, they can suck up heavy fire hoses, send debris flying dangerously through the air, fan the flames of a wildfire, and more.

Rapid Spread of Fire

Fire tornadoes frequently shower red-hot embers and burning materials over a large area as they spin. This can lead to rapid fire growth and the ignition of dangerous new spot fires.

Attempting to combat a raging wildfire that has a fire tornado roaring through it is like facing a multi-headed hydra. Just when you begin knocking down flames in one area, the tornado stirs up new blazes in another.

Fire Tornado Science & Research

Fire tornadoes have perplexed experts for decades, but modern research is helping unravel the science behind these whirling weather wonders.

Meteorological Connections

It's now understood that traditional tornadoes and fire tornadoes actually develop very similarly. Rising heat and specific wind patterns generate rotating columns of air. Fire tornadoes are provoked by hot air from flames, while traditional tornadoes arise from thunderstorms.

Fire Whirl Scale

A 5-point scale known as the Fire Whirl Classification Scale was developed to rate these events based on their size and severity. An F0 tornado may just stir up smoke and debris, while an F5 monster can feature flames hundreds of feet high!

Computer Model Simulations

Supercomputer models that can digitally recreate fire tornadoes are improving our comprehension. Researchers can tweak certain wind and fire variables in the programs to see how they influence fire tornado formation and behavior.

Unraveling the science of fire tornadoes is key for learning how to anticipate these events in future firefighting scenarios.

The Future of Fire Tornado Preparedness

Fire crews like the one in Vanderhoof had likely never before encountered something as weird and dangerous as that fire hose-sucking twister. However, events like this illustrate why firefighters must be ready for these fiery phenomena.

Advanced Training Exercises

Special sets of fire tornado preparedness drills are being developed for firefighter training programs. Fire crews run through tornado response scenarios and practice safety protocols.

Targeted Tornado Warnings

Forecasting efforts to better predict ideal fire tornado conditions are underway. Hyper local tornado warnings for fire crews may one day be a reality.

Tornado-Ready Equipment

Sturdier hose lines, vehicles, tents, and infrastructure that can better withstand fire tornado impacts are necessary. Developing tornado-resistant firefighting gear is key.

Fire tornadoes like the one encountered by British Columbia's Vanderhoof firefighters will likely continue to sporadically menace fire crews. But with improving readiness, research, and technology, their dangers can be diminished.

FAQs

What is a fire tornado?

A fire tornado, also called a fire whirl or fire devil, is a rapidly spinning column of rising hot air and flames that forms from intense heating and turbulent winds. It can suck in embers, smoke, and debris, leading to erratic fire spread.

How do fire tornadoes form?

Fire tornadoes occur when strong updrafts from an intense heat source, such as a wildfire, intersect with rotating winds. As winds get drawn upwards and turbulence increases, a vertical vortex ensues, spinning the flames and smoke upwards in a tornado shape.

Why are fire tornadoes dangerous for firefighters?

The extreme winds of a fire tornado can suddenly shift direction and intensity, spraying debris and boosting fire spread unpredictably. Fire tornadoes can also directly endanger firefighters by sucking up gear like fire hoses and raining down burning embers over a large area.

Has research helped improve fire tornado prediction?

Yes, computer simulations and meteorological studies are furthering our understanding of how fire tornadoes form. This may someday allow for specialized fire tornado warnings to firefighters so they can be better prepared to safely respond when conditions favor fire tornado development.