Forest fires can be extremely devastating. So can tornadoes. Put the two together as they are in this video of a forest fire in Varenti, Croatia, and you have the potential for a serious disaster.

The phenomenon shown in this video is known as a fire whirl. It’s not literally a tornado, because it is produced by the heat and changes in air pressure from the fire rather than naturally occurring weather patterns. But it is effectively the same thing.

While the fire whirl in this video presents a serious threat to the forest, it is quite amazing to watch. It is a rare (but not unheard of) phenomenon, and the brave cameraman was lucky to have caught it on video.