A raging wildfire has broken out
in the nearby forest.
Endless billows of smoke are blackening the sky.
But you notice something strange happening.
The clouds of smoke start to
rapidly spin and churn.
They starts to absorb the fire and ash,
turning into an intense, swirling blaze.
It's picking up cars, trees and houses with ease.
It's searing everything in its path.
It's two of nature's scariest creations combined.
Relentless 240 km/h (150 mph) winds.
Scorching 1,100 °C (2,000 °F) flames.
Now, it's towering at a height
of up to 45 m (150 ft).
Fire tornadoes are destructive forces of nature.
Large fires cause columns of hot air
to quickly rise from the ground.
This is called an updraft.
As a result, more air is rapidly drawn
from the sides to replace the rising air.
This causes the columns to swirl into a vortex.
Ash, embers, flammable gases and debris
are sucked in, turning into a spiral of flame.
Fortunately, while fire tornadoes are
fairly common,
your chances of seeing one are pretty slim.
Most fire tornadoes only last a few minutes
before they dissipate.
But if you are caught in one,
you'll be in the middle of a deadly situation.
A massive fire tornado is headed your way,
but don't hang around to watch.
Get out of the area as quickly as possible.
And get far away from the tornado's path.
It's likely that
people will already be
evacuating from the wildfire.
Fire tornadoes can grow to massive proportions.
Not only that, their embers can travel
up to 1.5 km (1 mi) away.
Unlike regular tornado safety precautions,
don't take cover indoors
if you have time to leave the area.
A fire tornado can kill you
with its blistering hot temperatures
or set buildings on fire.
When in doubt, get out.
But there's no car nearby.
The fire tornado's catching up,
and you're stuck on foot.
When you're near a fire tornado,
there's going to be a lot of embers,
debris, and smoke.
Cover your mouth and nose
with a wet rag or shirt.
This should help protect your airways
from these hazards.
Next, stay low to the ground.
The smoke from the fire will rise up,
so get down to minimize
the amount of smoke you breathe in.
Although fire tornadoes can cause
enormous amounts of damage,
there are areas that don't catch on fire.
Brick buildings and freshly watered fields
may not catch fire, even if embers land there.
These spots could be your best bet
if you're caught in a "firenado's" path.
Then, grab on to an object
that's securely attached to the ground.
The tornado can be strong enough
to easily sweep you off your feet.
Everything around you is engulfed in flames,
but luckily, the fire isn't spreading toward you.
It's too dangerous to run.
Your only option in a situation
like this is to stay down and wait it out.
Remember, fire tornadoes are powerful,
but brief.
The sounds of debris crashing
and the winds howling slowly fade away.
You look up.
The sky's still filled with smoke
but the swirling fire tornado has disappeared.
Looks like luck is on your side today.
Now, even though the fire tornado has passed,
don't throw caution to the wind just yet.
Try not to touch anything around you,
things can still be extremely hot from the fire.
Look for emergency responders
if you need help
and find a nearby shelter if possible.
Everything around you is wrecked
or burnt to a crisp,
but you survived a fire tornado.
Now that you've proved that this disaster
isn't too hot to handle,
how would you survive walking on lava?