What is a fire thunderstorm? How wildfires create these ‘dragon clouds’ in France — and Canada

What makes them dangerous is what happens underneath: Downdrafts that redirect a fire. Lightning that can start new fires. Hail, embers thrown far ahead and updrafts that threaten firefighting aircraft

France has recorded its first known 'fire cloud' as extreme wildfires sweep across Europe. Also called a pyrocumulonimbus, the towering storm forms when intense heat pushes smoke, air and moisture high into the atmosphere. It can generate powerful winds, lightning and fresh fires, allowing a wildfire to influence, and