JACKSON COUNTY, Colo. -- A firefighter battling the Beaver Creek Fire in northern Colorado captured a picture of a fire "whirl" this week.
Charles Bolt with Engine 1419 took the photo showing a column of fire stretching more than 20 feet in the air.
Fire whirls, aka fire tornadoes, happen when hot, dry air rises rapidly from the ground, according to LiveScience.com.
The Beaver Creek Fire flared up Sunday.
"Areas that had not shown activity recently had active fire and smoke columns were noticeable from a distance over many areas of the fire," the Forest Service said. "Sprinklers were activated as a precaution to protect Ike’s Cabin."
The fire burning north of Walden, Colorado, has burned 36,435 acres since it started June 19. The fire is 44 percent contained. There are 193 firefighting personnel assigned to the fire in addition to three helicopters.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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