LA SAL, Utah — A so-called "firenado" was spotted over a wildfire burning in southeastern Utah.
The Deer Creek Fire sparked in San Juan County on July 10 and has burned 14,760 acres as of Wednesday. Twelve structures and a "communications site" have been damaged or destroyed.
While the term "firenado" does not actually exist, the fear and anxiety it caused over the weekend are real.
Video shared by the Utah Bureau of Land Management on Sunday showed the phenomenon as it swept through San Juan County over the weekend.
- Check out the video below
The correct terms for this particular weather event are fire vortex or fire whirl, which are formed when the intense heat from fires combines with turbulent winds, creating a rotating body of air.
According to the Library of Congress, fire whirls can grow to more than 500 feet in diameter and can uproot trees up to 49 feet tall.
- Our sister station, KSTU in Salt Lake City, shares the latest on the fire in the video below
A video of the "firenado" shared on the FOX 13 News Facebook site has been seen nearly 5.5 million times and elicited various responses, including "Fighting a fire and it decides it wants to fight YOU," and "all we need is some sharks," in obvious reference to the infamous film, "Sharknado."
There have been no reported injuries associated with the human-caused Deer Creek Fire, which remains 0 percent contained. More than 250 people have been evacuated.
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