Overview

• A towering fire vortex formed above the Deer Creek Fire on July 12 and was confirmed authentic by the Bureau of Land Management after crews captured viral footage
• The blaze has consumed nearly 9,000 acres with 0% containment as firefighters battle extreme heat, low humidity and erratic winds
• The vortex damaged a Bureau of Land Management fire engine, leading to the temporary withdrawal of crews and prompting evacuations along Old La Sal Road and Highway 46
• Meteorologists and forestry experts are assessing whether the phenomenon should be classified as a fire whirl, firenado or pyrotornado based on its formation and structure
• Researchers warn that climate change–driven hotter, drier conditions are likely to increase the frequency of such fire-induced vortices, complicating future wildfire response