Deer Creek Fire Pyro-Vortex Incident 2025

Deer Creek Fire, Utah

A pyro-vortex occurred on July 12, 2025, at approximately 1250. This pyro-vortex was large enough with enough damage for the National Weather Service to classify the incident as an EF2 tornado.

Fire personnel were at numerous locations in and around the tornado area—in vehicles, helicopter and on the ground—when it began forming and making the fire behavior more intense. As the rotation began, it was quickly communicated over the radio for personnel to move to the safety zone. Some vehicles and personnel were already in the safety zone, some personnel took refuge in the black, and one engine parked at an existing clearing and ended up in the middle of the tornado.

The entire event impacted personnel for approximately 25 minutes from start to finish. Prior to, during, and after the incident, accountability checks were ongoing via radio. All personnel were accounted for and uninjured.