(COLORADO) — This summer has brought its fair share of extreme weather, with tornadoes and wildfire conditions making headlines. But a recent video from Portugal shows a rare and striking combination of both: a fire tornado.

The footage, captured amid fiery conditions in Portugal, reveals a rapidly spinning column of air within an active fire. This phenomenon, while visually crazy, is meteorologically sound and not unheard of in parts of the United States either.

A fire tornado forms when intense heat at ground level, often from a wildfire, causes hot air to rise rapidly. If this rising column encounters turbulent or converging winds, the air can begin to spin. The tighter and faster the air stretches upward, the more it resembles a tornado.

Using a familiar analogy, an ice skater pulling in their arms while spinning begins to rotate faster. The same principle applies here, where the hot air contracts and spins into a narrow, skinny vortex-looking tube of air. That’s why the fire tornado seen in Portugal appeared so skinny and fast-moving.

While this video is grabbing international attention, fire tornadoes aren’t unique to Europe. On July 15, a fire tornado was reported in La Sal, Utah, near the Colorado border. It developed during the Deer Creek Wildfire and was rated an EF2, which indicates significant strength. Photos from the scene show scorched trees and swirling damage patterns, a clear sign of both wind and fire at work. 

Courtesy: National Weather Service