Did you know wildfires, like the recent fires in Australia, can grow so massive that they create their own weather systems? A wildfire that creates its own weather system is so strong that it overpowers any other weather conditions in the area. Most wildfires are pushed along by wind. However, wildfires of great scale begin to collect smoke above them rather than pushing it to the side. Eventually, it forms a plume above the fire. As the plume cools it forms pyrocumulonimbus clouds. 

     Pyrocumulonimbus clouds, also known as firestorms, are formed when smoke, heat, and moisture combine and enter the stratosphere. Pyrocumulonimbus clouds are anvil shaped storm clouds that follow a wildfire. NASA refers to them as, “the fire-breathing dragon of clouds.”

     Firestorms have incredibly strong winds that throw embers in all directions. “When you get a decent thunderstorm, the rain comes from all directions. Now imagine the same for embers, ” says Associate Professor Sharples from the University of New South Wales. The embers, coupled with intense lightning, accelerates the spread of the fire. In New South Wales, Australia, fire officials estimated embers were being launched 18 miles in front of the fire. Firestorms are uncontrollable because they don’t follow the rules of typical wildfires. They contain so much force and energy that they have their own weather systems with extreme behavior.

     Australian experts estimated roughly 60 firestorms have happened since 2001. Eighteen of those firestorms took place in March of 2019. Firestorms drastically change the biodiversity of an area. For example, the Australian wildfires have made scientists concerned for many species like pygmy possums, Kangaroo Island dunnarts, and glossy black cockatoos. It is estimated that over 1 billion animals have perished in the Australian wildfires. In New South Wales alone, it is estimated 8,000 koalas were lost. Experts predict that koalas (among other species) are now in danger of extinction.