Heat from fires out West so severe it's causing thunderstorms without rain

The hot air and smoke emitting from the dozens of wildfires ravaging the West is creating its own weather pattern.

The heat emitting from the dozens of wildfires ravaging the West is creating thunderstorms without rain in regions desperate for moisture. The pyrocumulus clouds, or fire-driven thunderstorm clouds, are created as large pockets of heat and smoke from the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon rise and meet a relatively cool atmosphere. The thunderstorms typically don't contain rain because any moisture that forms usually evaporates on the way down. Vegetation parched by the megadrought is more likely to burn if struck by lightning, and gusty winds from the storms can spread fires more rapidly. This year's dry season, exacerbated by the megadrought and climate change, has created a tinderbox, with the relative humidity often as low as 10%.