On March 14, 2014, in a wildlife preserve near the Denver airport, firefighters started a fire. It was a "controlled burn," a practice typically made during cooler times of year—meant to prevent the buildup of weeds and other plants that can serve as tinder for wildfires in warmer months.

March 14, 2014 was a weird day, though. The winds over the preserve shifted, suddenly. So suddenly, in fact, that they began sucking the fire's debris—glowing embers, singed tumbleweeds—into the air. Finally, the fire itself got sucked into the vortex, creating a phenomenon that you cannot help but think of as ... a fire tornado.

Or as, more accurately: A FIRE TORNADO.