Welcome to Steve Spangler Science. Skip directly to: main content, navigation, search box.

Fire Tornadoes A fire tornado or fire whirl is just like a tornado but it's made of fire. 
print this page


When you picture a tornado, most of us imagine a whirling column of air poking down from the clouds. But this tornado-like effect is not limited to just the air. A fire tornado or fire whirl is just like a tornado but it's made of fire. As the heated air from the fire rises, strong air currents (often whipping through the trees) cause the air molecules to spin (often referred to as angular or rotational momentum) which shapes the flame into the shape of a tornado.

Shopping Cart

0 items in your cart

Login | Create Account

Email Newsletters

Join over 100,000 subscribers!
Sign up to receive your FREE science experiment of the week.

Plus, for a limited time, all newsletter subscribers will be eligible to win a $100
gift certificate to SteveSpanglerScience.com. Drawings will be held weekly, so sign up now for your chance to win! Learn more

100% No Spam Guarantee.