A firestorm is created as a result of the stack effect as the heat of the original fire draws in more and more of the surrounding air. This draft can be quickly increased if a low level jet stream exists over or near the fire. As the updraft mushrooms, strong gusty winds develop around the fire, directed inward. This would seem to prevent the firestorm from spreading on the wind, but the tremendous turbulence also created causes the strong surface inflow winds to change direction erratically. This wind shear is capable of producing small tornado- or dust devil-like circulations called fire whirls which can also dart around erratically, damage or destroy houses and buildings, and quickly spread the fire to areas outside the central area of the fire. Wikipedia.
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Saturday, April 24, 2010
Puzzle by Thomas Heilman, edited by Will Shortz
Flummoxed? Good! It’s a Saturday crossword!
Twelve-letter — BIKINI WAX (15A. Summer salon service, for some), FIRESTORM (55A. Violent outburst), FLUMMOXED (59A. At a loss), GAME TABLE (31D. Play furniture?), IN A MOMENT 17A. Directly), IT’S A SHAME (1A. “Alas”), JAM-PACKED (29D. Very full), KNEE BENDS (13D. Ups and downs of exercise?) aren’t for LAZY BONES (12D. Person prone to proneness?), SANDBLAST (14D. Remove graffiti from, in a way), SETS ASIDE (61A. Saves) and UNIT PRICE (30D. Sales statistic).
Mid-size — AIMING (4D. Rifle range activity), ANATOMY (34A. Makeup lessons?), ASOCIAL (42A. Not mixing well), CRAB MEAT (51A. Target of some leg-pulling), EXTANT (9D. Not lost), GALOOTS (26A. Lugs), HAWK-EYED (20A. Keenly observant), HOSTILE (39D. Inimical), LOTTOS (44D. Means of quick wealth), MANHOOD (8D. Virility), OPTS TO (46A. Decides one will), SEABEDS (36A. Wet bottoms), STAFFS (43D. Gets help for), 23A. “STONEY End” (1971 Barbra Streisand hit), hit? really, never heard of it!
Five-letter — ALANA (16A. One of Ariel’s sisters in “The Little Mermaid), along with Adella, Andrina, Aquata, Aresta and Attina, COZEN (18A. Swindle), DEEMS, ECLAT, ERRED, 33A. Broadway’s “Never GONNA Dance”, IBIZA (1D. One of the Pine Islands), KIBEI (54A. U.S.-born Japanese educated in Japan), LEO XI (48D. Leader who died 27 days after his election), nicknamed Papa Lampo ("Lightning Pope") for the brevity of his pontificate, MIMES (38A. Quietly tells a tale), 50D. NOM DE guerre; OMITS (46D. Passes by), SKALD (3D. Viking poet), TACKY (10D. In poor shape), TALKS, TINED (2D. Like some harrows), UTERO, ZELIG.
Short stuff — ADDN, ALOE, AMOS, APE and APT, AWE, BBB (25A. Org. with the motto “Start With Trust“), BEAM, ELIO, EMS, JOB, JOEL, JUG, GALA, HELL (39A. Misery), HIM, MIND, OLEN, PTER, SECT, SLIM (23D. Fat, as a chance), SNOG (5D. Make out, to Harry Potter), SST, RUT, TER, TONY, USMA, and WES Welker.
Hot stuff!
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Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.
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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 10. Is successfully interrogated; 18. Swindle; 19. Title role in a 1983 black-and-white film; 22. Annex: Abbr.; 28. Biblical preceder of 27-Down; 29. One with an ear and a small mouth; 32. What an idea comes to; 409. One with delta wings, briefly; 41. Wing: Prefix; 45. Well-said; 47. Author Robert ___ Butler; 53. In ___ diagnosis; 58. Brilliant effect; 60. Thinks. DOWN: 6. Exclamation at a lineup; 7. Something to gaze in; 11. Hydrocortisone additive; 24. What “1776” got in 1969; 27. Biblical follower of 28-Across; 28. Something to land; 33. Festive; 35. Thrice, to a pharmacist; 36. Friends, e.g.; 37. Chacon of the 1962 Mets; 42. Mad about, with “over”; 49. Was faulty?; 52. Appear elated; 53. Black Knights’ home: Abbr.; 56. Progress preventer; 57. Rescue inits.
