Video and photos: Tumbleweeds meet fire whirl in Rocky Mountain Arsenal

The tumbleweed invasion is nigh. Over the past few weeks, gaggles of the rolling desert shrubs have taken over portions of central Colorado, clogging streets and driveways, and trapping a few residents in their homes. Some communities around Colorado Springs have even resorted to clearing away the plants with snowplows...

By Adam Roy

March 25, 2014

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "23668565",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "23853568",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "17242653",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "24956856",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25 
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17676724",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

The tumbleweed invasion is nigh. Over the past few weeks, gaggles of the rolling desert shrubs have taken over portions of central Colorado, clogging streets and driveways, and trapping a few residents in their homes. Some communities around Colorado Springs have even resorted to clearing away the plants with snowplows.

But for a few firefighters this month, tumbleweeds briefly became a real danger.

On March 13, personnel from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, and three local fire departments were conducting a prescribed burn at Rocky Mountain Arsenal when a fire whirl swept up thousands of loose tumbleweeds.

Primed with several dumpsters' worth of the dried plants, the whirl -- a miniature flaming tornado formed when a dust devil draws in burning debris and gas from a wildfire -- broke the crews' lines, scorching an extra acre of grassland.

Luckily for those of us who don't plan on going anywhere near a flaming hell-vortex anytime soon, Thomas Rogers, a firefighter with South Metro Fire Rescue Authority, caught the incident on camera. We've posted the video below:

Meanwhile, the tumbleweed invasion continues in Colorado. Read on for some of our favorite Instagram photos.

Follow Adam Roy on Twitter: @adnroy

From our archives: Flooding in Colorado

Adam Roy is a contributor of Westword, a former editor at Outside and Matador Network, his writing has also appeared in Paste, High Country News and other online and print publications nationally and abroad.

A message from News Editor Thomas Mitchell: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of essential stories and to investigate issues that matter.

Support Today