What is an 'ash devil'? Rare fire phenomenon rises in Phelan's Trinity fire

Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times on May 2, 2026

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Firefighters battling the Trinity fire in San Bernardino County, California, on Friday caught a glimpse of a rare phenomenon.

A mini tornado of ash, embers and debris, known as an ash devil, spun up into the air from the remains of a fire that the crews had already put out.

“An ash devil is not a common occurrence,” said Christopher Prater, a San Bernardino County Fire Protection District public information officer. “When we do see them, it brings a heightened level of awareness because of the potential danger that it causes.”

Ash devils occur when heat from a fire causes hot air to rise and mix with the cool air from shifting winds, called wind shears. The combination creates a vortex effect, which pulls hot ash, embers and debris into a spinning column.

Ash devils are dangerous because they can spit out hot ash and start new fires in all directions.

That didn’t happen in this case, though, and the ash devil eventually just fell apart.

“Eventually, all those elements that you had initially to begin that vortex don’t line up anymore, and they go away on their own,” Prater said.

A video posted by the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District shows airplanes and crews fighting the Trinity fire, which started May 1 at 11:54 a.m. in Phelan in San Bernardino County. After a line of flames had been extinguished, the ash devil rose from the embers.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, the Victorville Fire Department, and the Apple Valley Fire District worked together to fight the blaze, which burned 19 acres and is 50% contained as of late Saturday afternoon.

“Basically we’re just out there extinguishing hot spots, making sure that the fire is secure before we’re able to call it 100% and walk away from it,” Cal Fire spokesperson Alison Wilkins said.

She said the fire didn’t burn any structures, but it did damage an unknown number of Joshua trees in the area.