Thread by @nytimes

The Dixie fire — this year's largest blaze — created its own extreme weather, including storm clouds, lighting, and at least one “fire whirl,” a sort of mini-tornado.

Now, for the first time, see one of these firestorms up close, with our 3-D model. nyti.ms/3m15R9m

Days after it ignited, the Dixie fire began funneling plumes of smoke deep into the atmosphere.

There, moisture condensed around tiny smoke particles, creating clouds, which continued to grow into an extreme form: a fire-fueled thunderstorm. nyti.ms/3nbyU9F

The storm unleashed more than a dozen lightning strikes in an hour, then reached more than 40,000 feet into the air, above the typical cruising altitude of a passenger jet. nyti.ms/3nbyU9F

Since it began in July, the Dixie fire has burned through nearly a million acres across the Sierra Nevada, forcing evacuations and destroying thousands of homes, businesses and other structures, including much of the town of Greenville. nyti.ms/3nbyU9F

Wildfires on the West Coast have grown larger and more intense in recent years. It’s not yet clear whether there is a sustained long-term trend toward more fire-fueled storms, but scientists recorded 33 this year — tying a record from 2013.

Read more: nyti.ms/3nbyU9F