Tubbs fire (Santa Rosa) fueled fire tornadoes strong enough to toss cars

[Brother Buzz]

‘Like a blowtorch’: Powerful winds fueled tornadoes of flame in Tubbs Fire (Santa Rosa)



The Tubbs Fire that raged through Santa Rosa last week unleashed a series of fiery tornadoes powerful enough to flip cars, yank trees out of the ground and rip homes apart, fire scientists said Wednesday.

Gusts of up to 73 mph were recorded at the weather stations after the fires broke out Oct. 8, but the extraordinary damage documented during postmortem evaluations indicated that much more powerful forces were at play.

“We had trees ripped out of the ground, cars turned over, garage doors ripped off their hinges and wrapped around trees in the front yards,” said Scott Upton, the northern region chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and an expert on fire behavior. “It was no different than a hurricane, really, but instead of rain we had a fire event. I’ve been in this business 30 years and it’s the worst I’ve seen.”

Upton said fire whirls, also known as fire tornadoes, probably happened in all the North Bay fires, but the most destructive evidence was found in Santa Rosa neighborhoods flattened by the Tubbs Fire, which has killed at least 22 people and burned 36,432 acres. Recovery teams are still searching for remains in the rubble.

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http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Tubbs-Fire-unleashed-fiery-tornadoes-that-12289228.php#photo-14375204

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. That helps explain how a brick and mortar store could be burnt down.

I know the area and was having a hard time understanding how fast the fire was moving and how it torched so many neighborhoods and businesses.
All the pics we have seen DO look like a bad tornado hit, very little left standing, unlike most fires.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. What an excellent diagram this is.

It really helps explain just what happened and why.

Thank you for posting all of this, Brother Buzz.

[Brother Buzz]

3. It really was the 'Perfect Storm'

I understand the venturi effect in fires, but with the introduction of super-heated air driven by Hellish winds, it essentially reached 'critical mass'. Scary.

[Auggie]

4. Trees ripped out of the ground!

That’s a force!