Oregon wildfire causes miles-high ‘fire clouds’ as flames grow

Pyrocumulus clouds viewable from 100 miles away as Bootleg fire grows beyond size of New York City

Smoke and heat from a huge wildfire in south-eastern Oregon are creating giant fire clouds" over the blaze - dangerous columns of smoke and ash that can reach up to six miles (10km) in the sky and are visible from more than 100 miles (160km) away.

Authorities have put these clouds at the top of the list of the extreme fire behavior they are seeing amid the Bootleg fire, the largest wildfire burning in the US. The inferno grew on Friday to about 377 sq miles (976 sq km), an area larger than New York City, and was raging through a part of the American west that is enduring a historic drought.