A rare "firenado" touched down Saturday in California near the border with Nevada as a wild fire and tornado collided.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning around 3 p.m. to alert first responders who were battling the Loyalton fire which started near Tahoe National Forest.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm led to "extremely erratic fire behavior," including a flaming vortex, which put firefighters at risk because it made the winds unpredictable meaning they could shift the direction of the fire at any time.
It also marked the first time the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for a twister caused by fire.
The Loyalton fire ended up burning 2,000 acres by Saturday evening. Several communities were ordered to evacuate throughout Saturday.
A firenado forms when changing winds start pulling up hot air and smoke plumes caused by a wild fire to create even more dangerous conditions.
Due to the excessive heath wave that has hit California and much of the west, experts believe the conditions for a firenado will remain for several more days.
While extremely rare, "firenado" storms have been witnessed more recently, including one during the deadly 2018 Carr fire in California where wind gusts reached more than 140 mph. At least one death was traced back to that storm.
