Massive Fire cloud Forms During Deadly Wildfire in Spain

A towering pyrocumulus cloud, reaching 14 kilometers in height, rapidly advanced across Léida, Spain, on Tuesday, exacerbating a devastating wildfire that claimed two lives. The fire has already consumed over 5,500 hectares in the Catalan city, underscoring the increasing intensity and unpredictability of wildfires in a warming climate.

Unprecedented Fire Cloud Growth

The fire cloud, a phenomenon born from the intense heat of the blaze, consisted of gases and water vapor. According to Edgar Nebot, a forest engineer with the Catalonia Government Firefighters, its size was nearly unprecedented. “It is one of the highest values we have ever registered,” nebot told *The Country*.

These types of fires are capable of generating unpredictable convective processes. The dry landscape and agricultural fields in the area fueled the cloud’s formation, allowing it to maintain its shape for approximately 30 minutes. The event occurred between 18:10 and 18:40 local time.

Did You Know? Pyrocumulus clouds can generate their own weather systems, including winds and even lightning, making firefighting efforts even more challenging.

How Fire Clouds Form

The formation of a pyrocumulus cloud begins with burning vegetation. The fire releases intense heat, causing air to rise rapidly and collide with the upper atmosphere. As the air cools,it condenses,forming a cloud above the smoke column,which can grow to exceed ten kilometers in height.This process essentially creates a self-made chimney for the fire,allowing it to escalate dramatically.

Though, this column of smoke is unstable and eventually collapses, causing the fire fronts to become chaotic. Forest Engineer Luis Berbiela likened the effect to throwing a lidless bottle of water against the ground, with the liquid scattering in all directions. The presence of farms or other flammable materials intensifies this effect, allowing the cloud to reach even greater proportions.

The Dangers of Pyro-Convection

These clouds of fire can develop in large fires or even following volcanic eruptions. The intense heat causes a rapid rise of very hot air, and the higher the smoke, the greater the ability of these clouds to create almost its own systems. For example,it is possible in these pyrocumules that their large dimensions allow the emergence of winds from the burning at the bottom of the cloud – and different from local winds – and even that there are water or lightning within the fires themselves.

the expansion of these fire clouds is unpredictable and challenging to control. In the case of Léida, the cloud’s speed of 28 kilometers per hour demonstrated the voracity with which these meteorological phenomena can spread fire. Pyro-convection, where ascending and descending movements occur in the atmosphere due to fires, is not a new phenomenon. This type of event contributed to the damage caused by the October 2017 fires in Portugal.

Pro tip: Understanding the behavior of pyrocumulus clouds is crucial for predicting wildfire spread and developing effective firefighting strategies.

Climate Change and Increased Fire Risk

Extreme temperatures in june and July create ideal conditions for the spread of fires that can generate clouds of fire, and the tendency is to remain, also due to climate change that have the weather phenomena. According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), 2024 saw a 20% increase in the area burned by wildfires compared to the average of the previous decade [1]. This trend highlights the urgent need for proactive measures to mitigate the impact of climate change on wildfire risk.

The European Union’s Response to Wildfires

The European Union has 27 member states, including Spain [2]. The EU provides resources and coordination to help member states combat wildfires, including aerial firefighting support and satellite monitoring. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism facilitates cooperation in disaster response among participating states.

What measures can be taken to better prepare for and combat these extreme fire events? How can communities become more resilient to the increasing threat of wildfires?