Sheriff's office in Northern Colorado shares video of fire whirl during recent grass fire

The Morgan County Sheriff's Office captured a surprising video on Monday: a fire whirl in northeastern Colorado.

According to the sheriff's office, a grass fire broke out in an area along Highway 71 between County Roads H and I in Morgan County. While first responders were working to put out the flames, windy conditions created a unique and dangerous phenomenon.

Also known as "firenado," "fire tornadoes," or "pyrogenetic tornadoes," the U.S. Forest Service describes fire whirls as a "spinning vortex column of ascending hot air and gases rising from a fire and carrying aloft smoke, debris, and flame. Fire whirls range in size from less than one foot to more than 500 feet in diameter."

Fire whirls are similar to dust devils, water spouts and tornadoes. The USFS says they can create dangerous conditions for firefighters by increasing a fire's intensity, spotting, erratic changes in spread rate and direction, and wind damage.

Although small to medium fire whirls are known to form during wildland fires, the Forest Service says they can become large and destructive, like the ones that formed in the 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire in Colorado.

In a social media post, the sheriff's office said its recent video is an example of how quickly fire conditions can change:

"While the video shows how quickly fire and wind can combine to create extreme, unpredictable conditions, we are thankful to report that no one was injured and no structures were lost. We want to recognize and thank all of the firefighters, first responders, and supporting agencies who worked to protect our community during this incident.

This is also an important reminder of how dangerous conditions can become during a wildfire. Please give emergency crews plenty of room to work, avoid unnecessary travel into active fire areas, and follow evacuation or safety instructions when they are issued."