Bootleg Fire in Oregon Creates Its Own Weather

You just know something is substantial if it comes with its own weather pattern!  Well, the Bootleg Fire that has been ravaging hundreds of miles of Oregon countryside is so large that it is actually creating its own, unique weather.

The Science Behind the Bootleg Fire Weather Anomaly

As of July 20, 2021, about two weeks after it ignited, the Bootleg Fire has scorched over 340,000 acres, and, sadly, is only 30% contained as of the time of this writing thanks to the unrelenting heat and dry air.  So obviously, this disaster is nothing to sneeze at.

So large is the fire that it has been generating rare, mushroom-like “pyrocumulus clouds,” a phenomenon also sometimes seen above erupting volcanoes, especially so-called super volcanoes.  Although similar to normal cumulus clouds, there are differences.

Normal cumulus clouds are created when sunrays heat the ground, creating a pattern of warm air that rises above the denser cooler air above.  As it rises, it cools and condenses to form the familiar cloud pattern.

Pyrocumulus clouds are formed in a similar manner, but because the fire activity overheats the air, it forces it to rise faster than what you’d expect with typical cumulus cloud formation.  At the same time, the extreme heat causes the water inside burning plants and trees to evaporate and release into the air, and this additional moisture, coupled with smoke particles, accelerates the condensing of the air to produce the strange mushroom-shaped formations.

Compared to normal cumulus clouds, pyrocumulus clouds usually appear dark gray due to the ash contained within.  They can also produce thunderstorms and change the velocity and direction of the wind, creating additional firefighting challenges.

Unfortunately, disasters similar to the Bootleg Fire are likely to become even more frequent going forward due to climate change.  Right now, this reality mainly impacts the western part of the U.S., but in the future, it could become a nationwide problem.  Just food for thought the next time you’re reviewing your company’s emergency plan.