Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016 | 5 p.m.
CORNELIUS, Ore. — A small fire on an Oregon farmer's field whipped up several firenados — tornados made of flames and smoke.
The smoky twisters cropped up in the field after a piece of farming equipment on Friday sparked the fire, which ultimately burned about 7 acres.
Cornelius Fire Department spokesman Matt Johnston said erratic winds contributed to the flaming phenomenon. He said the fire sucks in oxygen to fuel itself and the heat rises, causing the spinning column of flames and smoke.
Johnston filmed one in an adjacent field that swirled for about two minutes and shot up about 200 feet.
While Oregon has had a tame wildfire season so far, Johnston said three days of expected triple-digit heat has crews worried.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy