Wildfires currently raging in France and Spain are being exacerbated by a rare meteorological phenomenon known as fire clouds, or pyrocumulonimbus, according to an expert.
These storms, which form above intense fires, create updrafts that draw water vapor higher into the atmosphere. "Then the fire is raging more and propagating at [a] higher speed with more energy, so it injects even more water vapor," explained Filippi, a scientist studying the phenomenon. "The cloud is getting bigger, and then it is sucking air [in a stronger way]. Then you have this feedback loop, making an acceleration."
This feedback loop intensifies both the fire and the cloud above it, making the blazes significantly more difficult to contain.
Further complicating containment efforts, wildfire smoke has been found to make some clouds denser. This increased density can hinder the clouds' ability to produce rainfall that would help suppress the fires. When rain does form, if it encounters hot air before reaching the ground, it can evaporate before having any cooling effect.
Instead of rain, these fire clouds can produce strong downdrafts and thunder. Filippi also noted that fire clouds can lift ash particles high into the stratosphere, which can then fall on neighboring areas, necessitating precautionary evacuations.