As wildfires raged across the state of Louisiana in August, a remarkable meteorological phenomenon was captured on camera in Sabine Parish, a firenado. This event occurred amidst the ongoing wildfires in Northwest Louisiana on August 25.
A firenado is short for fire tornado. It is a rare weather occurrence caused by the combination of scorching air from a wildfire and swirling wind gusts moving in different directions.
As statewide fires continued to burn Louisiana, the video footage of Sabine Parish’s wildfires showing a rare weather phenomenon surfaced. Officials of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Department expressed grave concerns about the continuous wildfires and the risks they pose to people. A primary concern of the officials was the rising trend of residents trying to view the fires up close, including sending drones into the affected areas to capture images.
Louisiana, which has been contending with extreme summer heat and drought, saw an unprecedented 441 wildfires in August, officials said. Most of southwest Louisiana has been classified by the US Drought Monitor as being in “exceptional drought.” Though wildfires take place in the state annually, these aren’t typically as frequent or as big as they have been this year.
