How 'fire-generated thunderstorms' make wildfires more deadly

During severe wildfires, intense heat can generate pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which NASA has identified as a distinct weather phenomenon associated with large fires. These clouds form when fire-generated heat and smoke rise rapidly into the atmosphere, creating conditions similar to thunderstorms. Pyrocumulonimbus clouds can produce lightning, hail, and erratic wind patterns that spread flames across wider areas.

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