Time lapse photo shows 'fire cloud' in Thomas fire

A dramatic time lapse photo posted to Facebook by the Ventura County Fire Department shows how fire really can create its own weather conditions.|
PRESS DEMOCRAT STAFF
BY PRESS DEMOCRAT STAFF

A dramatic time lapse photo posted to Facebook by the Ventura County Fire Department shows how fires really can create their own weather conditions.

The photo, posted Dec. 12, shows a pyrocumulus cloud, or "fire cloud," over the northwest part of the raging Thomas fire, now the fourth largest wildfire in California history.

The cloud is formed by the hot air and smoke released into the sky during wildfires.

The 11-day old blaze has burned through more 242,000 acres in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Read more about the science behind the cloud in the department's post here and see the video below:

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