# 4 ways wildfires generate tornadoes, lightning and other extreme weather, sometimes miles from the flames

- Link: https://www.widthness.com/4-ways-wildfires-generate-tornadoes-lightning-and-other-extreme-weather-sometimes-miles-from-the-flames/
- Published: 2026-07-31T09:45:00-05:00
- Author: Curated by Theresa Wysocki

Photo: A pyrocumulus cloud rises above a wildfire in the Angeles National Forest in Southern California – March 18, 2012. Photo credit: Jeremy A. Greene via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0 (photo resized to fit). Article by Yunyao Li. The Conversation – July 30, 2026. Thick smoke from massive wildfires has been spreading in North America and Europe once again in 2026. The health impacts of breathing this particle-filled air are becoming well known, but wildfires’ influence on the weather is less widely recognized. We often think about weather controlling wildfires: Dry air, heat, wind and lightning determine when fires start and how quickly they spread. However, once a wildfire becomes intense enough, the relationship can flip. Instead of simply responding to the weather, the fire begins to create its own weather. […] Click here to view original web page at www.theconversation.com Photo: A fire whirl. The Douglas Complex Fire near Glendale, OR – July 26, 2013. Photo credit: Oregon Department of Forestry by Marvin Vetter via USDA / Flickr. CC BY 2.0. Related articles: French wildfire created a monster cloud, unleashing lightning that ignited more fires – AP News France wildfire evacuations lift as weather improves, but George Clooney among thousands still displaced – CBS News Major Driver of Worsening Canadian Wildfires Is Climate Change, Not Forest Mismanagement – FactCheck.org Oregon holds the nation’s 4 biggest active wildfires – KATU Flash Flooding Hits Colorado Wildfire Burn Area, Forcing Road Closures and Evacuations – NTD News Curated by Theresa Wysocki See Full Bio