A wildfire can already devastate forests, homes and entire communities. But some of France’s biggest blazes are now becoming something even more dangerous: they are creating their own thunderstorms. Known as pyrocumulonimbus clouds, these towering “fire clouds” can generate lightning, produce violent winds, scatter burning embers far ahead of the flames and even create fire tornadoes, turning one wildfire into several. Scientists say the phenomenon has traditionally been associated with catastrophic fires in Australia and North America, but recent events suggest it is becoming an emerging threat in Europe as wildfires grow larger and more intense. According to New Scientist , France recently recorded its first radar-observed pyrocumulonimbus during the Gironde wildfire.
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