Firefall: The web is fascinated by an extremely rare phenomenon

In Yosemite National Park in California, USA, a rare phenomenon, firefall, was filmed. SSPDaily tells about it.

Newsweek writes about it.

The video, filmed on February 22, shows Horsetail Falls illuminated as if on fire.

This phenomenon is an illusion that can be seen only from mid to late February each year in a California park. This happens when the sun sets at a certain angle, when the light falls on the waterfall, creating the effect of burning water.

The video, shot by Srinivasan Maniyevannan, shows spectators waiting at the observation deck, waiting for the chance to see the rare phenomenon. Then the water suddenly begins to glow, as if it had been set on fire. The glow of the waterfall seems to get darker as the sun continues to set.

Every year, Yosemite sees a surge in visitors: spectators gather in the California park hoping to see a rare phenomenon. However, some strict criteria must be met for the "fire" to occur. First, it is highly weather-dependent, as the sky must be crystal clear for sunlight to reach the water, according to the tourist information website Yosemite.com. During the "fire" season, there is a very small window of opportunity while the sun is setting to create the illusion, so if clouds are covering the sun at this time, it won't happen. It also depends on how much water flows down the cliff. The illusion is only fully manifested when there is enough water in the Horsetail to reflect the light. Therefore, there should always be some snow on the ground so that water flows into the waterfall. But it also has to be combined with warm conditions so that the snow melts enough to get into the waterfall.

It is also reported that you can see the glow of firefall if it is cold outside and only a small amount of water flows from the rock. The light will still be reflected in a small trickle of water. However, the lava illusion does not achieve its full effect unless there is a lot of water falling from the rock, as shown in this video.

Visitors can plan their visit to see the firefall by learning in advance about the level of water flow. The Yosemite Falls webcam broadcasts several areas of the national park in real-time, which means that potential viewers can look at Horsetail Falls to assess the water flow before arriving.