VIDEO: A rare “fire whirl” was captured on camera by wildland firefighters in Mississippi.
The fire whirl occurred during a 22-acre wildfire in Greene County on November 17, 2025.
According to the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC), the fire whirl, also known as a smoke tornado or smokenado, is not an average gust of wind. They said the fire whirl forms when intense heat from a wildfire creates powerful updrafts of hot air. When the atmospheric winds hit the updrafts just right, it causes a column of air and smoke to rotate violently.
MFC officials said the high winds can intensify the heat and fling burning embers across fire lines. This could cause the fire to spread to new areas.
