[MontanaMatt]

The pictures are very similar to events that I have witnessed here in Montana in late August during extreme fire seasons. When the forest fires burn hot in the late afternoon, the smoke columns carry smoke, burning embers, pine needles, and even pine cones high up into the atmosphere just like a thunderhead (with lightning).

[nwctwx]

Fires creating clouds/weather is fairly common. The clouds are called pyrocumulus or pyrocumulonimbus.

Pyrocumulus is a cumuliform cloud which is produced by fire, an erupting volcano, industries and so on. These all cause heating of air, usually with a lot of moisture in it. Clear pyrocumulus only forms if there is very little wind, so that the thermal can rise to condensation level without mixing too much with the ambient air.

http://www.bsch.au.com/reports/20_06_01.shtml
http://australiasevereweather.com/photography/pyrocumulus01.html

[Cindy]

OPINION: Yep. I agree.