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  • A Fire whirl or swirl, sometimes called fire devils or fire tornadoes, can be seen during intense fires in combustible building structures or more commonly in forest or bush fires. A fire whirl is a vortex-shaped formation of burning gasses being released from the combustible material. The genesis of the vortex is probably similar to that of a dust devil. But, as distinct from the dust devil, it is improbable that the height reached by the fire gas vortex is greater than the visible height of the vortical flames because of turbulence in the surrounding gasses which inhibit creation of a stable boundary layer between the rotating/rising gasses relative to the surrounding gasses.

    _Wikipedia

    February 5, 2008

  • Cool! I've often wondered if that phenomenon had a name.

    February 5, 2008

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_whirl "Fire whirls, also known as fire devils, fire tornadoes or firenadoes, are whirlwinds of flame..."

    April 18, 2014