‘Smokenado’ blasts Spain-Portugal border near Alvão Mountains: Video
A wildfire burning in northern Portugal put on more than a show of flames and smoke Tuesday as what was described as a “smokenado” filled the skies and traveled over the grassy hillside.
The scene took place in the Alvão Mountains, near the Spain-Portugal border.
Video taken by a local first responder showed the fire’s smoke becoming entrapped in the twister-like feature.
Forest experts say these whirlwinds are often weak and form when warm air rises and produces an eddy.
Most times, they are harmless but can cause fire to act erratically, putting firefighters at risk.
The scene looked eerily familiar to when a ‘firenado’ was spotted by helicopters in early August during a wildfire near Gorman, California.
Similar to the Golden State, fires in the country of Portugal have kept firefighters busy.
Officials estimate more than 250,000 acres of brush have burned so far during an ongoing drought and record heatwaves.
The European Union has mobilized numerous resources, including aviation units, to help the country of 10 million people.
“As wildfires continue to threaten people and resources across our continent, we need to stay alert and ready to deploy assistance as rapidly as possible from fire breakouts,” Janez Lenarčič, the EU’s commissioner for crisis management, said in a statement.
The EU said they are ready to mobilize further assistance if the country requests additional resources during the wildfire emergency.
