Firenado spotted after huge California park fire

A raging wildfire spawned a dramatic firenado near Chico, California, as emergency crews struggle to contain the blaze.

A time-lapse video, captured by a camera located northeast of Chico in the mountains, shows a swirling fire vortex that's a mix of wind, smoke and flames.

According to the US's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this weather phenomenon occurs when heat from a wildfire rises quickly, leaving an empty space behind it. Air floods into that gap, creating an updraft that brings the fire with it.