Causes and behavior of a tornadic fire-whirlwind

Leo M. Sergius; Carl W. Hickerson; Arthur R. Pirsko

Treesearch

Causes and behavior of a tornadic fire-whirlwind

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Leo M. Sergius, Carl W. Hickerson, Arthur R. Pirsko

Year:

1965

Type:

Research Note

Station:

Pacific Southwest Research Station

Source:

Res. Note PSW-RN-061. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 13 p

Download (PDF 4.91 MB)

Download (PDF 4.91 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/42171.pdf

Abstract

A destructive whirlwind of tornadic force was formed in a 600-acre brush fire burning on the lee side of a ridge near Santa Barbara on March 7, 1964. The fire whirlwind, formed in a post-frontal unstable air mass, cut a mile long path, injured 4 people, destroyed 2 houses, a barn, and 4 automobiles, and wrecked a 100-tree avocado orchard.[higher-resolution image available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/psw/publications/documents/psw_rn061/psw_rn061_highres.pdf]

Citation

Pirsko, Arthur R.; Sergius, Leo M.; Hickerson, Carl W. 1965. Causes and behavior of a tornadic fire-whirlwind. Res. Note PSW-RN-061. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 13 p.