GRAND CANYON REGION — A stunning yet alarming time-lapse video has captured the formation of "fire clouds" — also known as pyrocumulus clouds — rising from a massive wildfire burning near the Grand Canyon, as blazes continue to rage across Utah and Arizona.

The so-called "megafire" is producing intense heat that causes the atmosphere above to form towering clouds, visible for hundreds of miles, which not only signal the fire’s ferocity but can also create lightning and wind, further fueling the flames.

Fire officials say the phenomenon is a dangerous feedback loop:

“These clouds form from the heat of the fire, and in some cases, they can produce lightning that sparks new fires,” said a regional fire spokesperson.

The Grand Canyon area, a major national landmark, remains under air quality warnings and evacuation alerts in some zones, as firefighters race to contain the blazes amid dry conditions and high winds.

Satellite imagery and aerial footage show the smoke plume stretching across state lines, marking one of the most intense wildfire events in the region this season.