A fire whirl is any intensely rotating column of heated air that rises from a fire.
A fire devil is relatively small and ephemeral.
The largest fire whirl is a fire tornado which features:
(1) destructive tornado-like winds (over 100 miles per hour)
(2) very high heat (over 2,500 °F)
(3) rapid movement
(4) great size (hundreds of feet in diameter with height of several miles)
Classification of fire whirls:
(1) Type 1: stable, centered over burning area
(2) Type 2: stable or transient, extends downwind from burning area
(3) Type 3: steady or transient, centered over an open area adjacent to an asymmetric burning area, with wind
