The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- A massive wildfire in southwestern France, burning an area roughly four times the size of Paris, has produced the country's first recorded fire cloud, or pyrocumulonimbus — a thunderstorm generated by the fire's own heat and smoke.
- The cloud can create powerful winds, lift burning embers over long distances, and produce lightning that sparks new fires, making the blaze harder to control.
- It comes amid an intense European wildfire season, with heatwaves and drought drying out vegetation in France, Spain, Greece and Turkey, forcing large-scale evacuations.
- Cooler temperatures and possible rain have slowed the French fire, but over 2,000 firefighters and more than 20 aircraft remain deployed and officials warn conditions could worsen again.
What to watch next
- Whether cooler temperatures, humidity and forecast rain continue to slow the French fire or conditions worsen again as officials warn.
- Whether the wildfire generates further fire-weather events like additional pyrocumulonimbus clouds, ember-driven spot fires or lightning ignitions.
- How the wildfire season develops in Spain, Greece and Turkey as heat and drought persist across Europe.
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Named France · Spain · Greece · Türkiye · Gironde · Turkey · Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra · Kirti Avishek · NASA
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