A towering “smokenado” spiraled above the Verona Fire in Riverside County as dramatic wildfire footage spread across social media Tuesday.
Video showed the massive funnel of smoke twisting high into the sky above the blaze burning near Verona Road and Juniper Springs Road in the unincorporated Green Acres and Homeland areas.
The eerie vortex, also known as a “smoke devil”, formed as firefighters battled the rapidly growing wildfire, which exploded Tuesday afternoon and at one point was described by officials as burning at a “critical rate of spread.”
The Verona Fire was first reported around 12:20 p.m. and quickly tore through dry vegetation amid dangerous fire conditions in Riverside County.
By Tuesday night, the fire had scorched roughly 439 acres with zero containment, according to Cal Fire.
Officials issued evacuation orders for several zones, while additional evacuation warnings remained in place for nearby communities.
Cal Fire said numerous air tankers from across the state were deployed to attack the flames from above while ground crews worked to establish containment lines through the night. Resources assigned to the firefight included 44 engines, helicopters, bulldozers, and hand crews.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, while one civilian also sustained an injury, which was reported, though the person declined medical treatment, according to officials.
The Verona Fire erupted as firefighters across Southern California were already stretched thin battling several other blazes, including the massive Sandy Fire near Simi Valley and the Bain Fire in Riverside County.
The cause of the Verona Fire remains under investigation.
