Clear skies and warmer weather make for perfect conditions to clean up the mess brought by Mother Nature earlier this month.

As if they aren’t already facing enough, firefighters in California also could encounter fire tornadoes — a rare but dangerous phenomenon in which wildfires create their own weather.

As if they aren’t already facing enough, firefighters in California also could encounter fire tornadoes — a rare but dangerous phenomenon in which wildfires create their own weather.

As if they aren’t already facing enough, firefighters in California also could encounter fire tornadoes — a rare but dangerous phenomenon in which wildfires create their own weather.

FILE - This image taken from video released by Cal Fire shows a fire tornado over Lake Keswick Estates, on July 26, 2018, near Redding, Calif. (Cal Fire via AP, File) FILE - This image taken from ...

Mobile homes are torn apart. The past year had more EF2 tornadoes since 2011. It also had more EF3 tornadoes, which can rip an unanchored home right off its foundation. That’s significant.

Among 10 strong tornadoes (EF2 or higher), one EF3 tore through areas near Mt. Vernon, Indiana. That was the strongest July tornado to occur in the NWS-Paducah, Kentucky, forecast area since 1950.

At least 45 deaths were attributed to tornadoes. Indiana saw its second-busiest year for tornadoes with 57, the weather service reported. The 90 preliminary tornado reports across the country in ...