'Smokenado' Spins Away From Burning Man Bonfire

Several fire tornadoes, or “smokenadoes”, were seen spinning away from the flames during the central event of the Burning Man festival this year, with attendee Jordan Palmer dubbing it a “beautiful but heavy” experience.

Palmer’s video shows the event’s famous bonfire ritual, with a small whirlwind alongside it. The smokenado then moves slowly away from the bonfire.

A smokenado, sometimes called a fire devil or firenado, forms when ground-level winds come into contact with smoke or fire and whip them into the air in a spiral. Credit: Jordan Palmer via Storyful

Video transcript

[CROWD CHATTER AND MUSIC PLAYING]