The Bootleg wildfire in southern Oregon, after months of dryness and extreme heatwaves in the region last month, is the largest wildfire in the United States this year. More than 530 square meters of forest land and lawns have been burned.
At a time when climate change is causing larger and more intense wildfires, this is also one of the most extreme. Its scale and heat affect the wind and also the atmosphere.
“The fire was so large and produced so much energy and heat that it changed the weather,” said Marcus Kauffman, a spokesman for the state forestry department. Usually the weather predicts what a fire will do. In this case, the fire is predicting what the weather will be like.”
The fires are so intense that they create weather on their own that hampers firefighting efforts. Extreme intensity and heat can force winds to blow around them, creating clouds and even sometimes creating so-called fire tornadoes – tornadoes that include heat, smoke, and high winds.
