During the summer of 2026, NASA research aircraft chased and sampled extraordinary fire-driven clouds rising high above Utah wildfires. These pyrocumulonimbus clouds, fueled by intense wildfires, loft smoke and particles deep into the upper atmosphere, where they can affect climate and weather for months or even years.
- Pyrocumulonimbus clouds form intense thunderheads above wildfires, reaching the upper atmosphere.
- Smoke from these clouds can linger in the stratosphere, affecting ozone and climate.
- NASA's INSPYRE mission uses aircraft to sample smoke at unprecedented altitudes.
What happened
In early August 2026, NASA's INSPYRE team conducted detailed observations of pyrocumulonimbus clouds generated by the Widemouth 2 fire in Utah. This wildfire, ignited by lightning, grew rapidly amid hot, dry conditions and strong winds. The fire produced multiple pyroCb bursts, where towering smoke-infused clouds rose to or above the troposphere, with satellites capturing their cold, high-altitude cloud tops.
Flying specialized research aircraft such as the NSF/NCAR GV, scientists sampled the smoke at heights around 12 kilometers, gathering rare data on these fiery cloud tops. This direct measurement follows advanced satellite imaging, providing crucial information on the composition and behavior of smoke plumes injected into the stratosphere by the fire's intense convective activity.
Why it feels good
Understanding pyrocumulonimbus clouds helps improve wildfire forecasting and response efforts. Since these fire-driven clouds can produce lightning, hail, and heavy rain, they add complexity to managing wildfires. By learning how pyroCbs form and behave, scientists hope to reduce uncertainties faced by firefighters and emergency planners during active blazes.
Furthermore, studying how smoke from pyroCbs reaches the upper atmosphere reveals its influence on the Earth’s ozone layer and energy balance. This has important implications for climate science, helping to uncover how wildfires contribute to atmospheric changes over time, making NASA's mission both scientifically valuable and relevant to public safety and environmental health.
What to enjoy or watch next
As NASA continues the INSPYRE campaign, expect further exciting discoveries about the complex interactions between wildfires and the atmosphere. Future flights and data analyses will enhance our ability to monitor these dramatic clouds with even greater precision, using both airborne sensors and satellite technology.
For those interested in weather, climate, and fire science, keep an eye on upcoming reports from the INSPYRE team and related missions. These will offer deeper insights into how pyrocumulonimbus clouds evolve, how their smoke spreads globally, and how this research can help communities better prepare for and respond to increasingly frequent and intense wildfire seasons.