‘Fire whirl’ forms in Mojave Desert as crews battle California wildfire

A “fire whirl,” — sometimes known as a fire tornado — formed in the Mojave Desert on Sunday as firefighters continued their battle against the York Fire, which has burned more than 70,000 acres so far in California. The vortex of flames and smoke forms when intense heat and turbulent winds combine.

• ‘Fire whirls’ form in California as crews battle raging blazes