Massive Pyrocumulus Cloud Towers Over Utah Prescribed Fire

Video filmed by X user NWS Salt Lake City shows a massive pyrocumulus cloud rapidly forming over a prescribed fire in northern Utah.

The timelapse footage captures a thick smoke plume rising quickly from the burn area before expanding into a large, cauliflower-shaped cloud reaching high into the atmosphere.

The video shows strong vertical development as the plume intensifies and spreads upward under bright daylight conditions.

The development reflects unstable atmospheric conditions over the region as heat from the fire drives the rapid cloud formation.

The footage was posted with the caption: “If you’re on the Wasatch Front, you probably noticed a large pyrocumulus cloud develop over a prescribed fire! Here’s a timelapse of the plume development and a display of the instability in place over northern Utah #utwx”

The event illustrates how intense heat from a prescribed burn can generate pyrocumulus clouds, which can sometimes even produce lightning.