When Fire Creates Its Own Storms: The Terrifying Rise of Pyrocumulonimbus Clouds and Their "Volcanic" Impact

Major wildfires are generating pyrocumulonimbus clouds, fire-driven storms that can create their own weather and lightning.

These plumes can inject smoke and aerosols into the upper troposphere and even the stratosphere, affecting the atmosphere at large scale.

The phenomenon has been seen in major fires across Europe and Australia, drawing attention from NASA and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

Scientists are studying how these extreme events spread fires and what they mean for climate change and atmospheric science.