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California Interagency Incident Management Team 13 was briefed on the significant ongoing firefighting efforts for the York fire this evening. The team will be taking command of the fire on 7/31/23 at 8:00am and will assume operational control and coordination of all firefighting resources and personnel on the ground.

The York Fire remains at 70,000 acres and 0% containment. Increased fire activity was observed again today, as winds picked up and are starting to exacerbate the fire’s behavior.

In some locations, firefighters on the north side of the fire observed fire whirls also known as whirlwinds. While these can be fascinating to observe they are a very dangerous natural phenomena that can occur during wildfires. A fire whirl is a vortex of flames and smoke that forms when intense heat and turbulent winds combine, creating a spinning column of fire.

These fire whirls are similar to dust devils but are specifically associated with the heat and energy released by a wildfire. They can range in size from a few feet to several hundred feet in height, and their rotational speed can vary widely.

This weather is extremely dangerous for firefighters battling the fires. They have the potential to spread embers over long distances and can start new fires ahead of the main fire front. Additional fire whirls can change direction suddenly, making them unpredictable and difficult to anticipate.