Wildfires can release more energy than an atomic bomb. No wonder they look apocalyptic

"By that point, the Line fire had already released more energy into the atmosphere than a dozen atomic bombs. And just as nuclear blasts produce a distinctive mushroom cloud, uncontrolled wildfires can be powerful enough to generate their own weather."

"Smoke aerosols block and scatter sunlight, causing the surreal ‘red sun’ effect that shows up in apocalyptic-seeming pictures on social media; their optical properties also tend to suppress precipitation in downwind locations, which may... fuel more fires because of drier conditions."

Read at Los Angeles Times