In recent days, a massive wildfire has swept through Los Angeles County in California, USA, resulting in multiple fatalities. The scale of the fire is so immense that it can even be seen from outer space. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured photos of the wildfire.
On January 10, NASA shared images taken by astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station, showcasing the devastating Los Angeles fire.
According to NASA, fueled by dry terrain and gusts of wind reaching speeds of up to 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour), multiple destructive fires broke out on the hillsides of Los Angeles County in early January. These fires have ravaged large forests and thousands of structures, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders for several areas in the county.
On January 7, a fire broke out near the Pacific Palisades community in Los Angeles County. The European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellite captured the situation at the time.
As smoke from the ongoing fire continued to drift towards the Pacific Ocean, NASA’s Aqua satellite’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) captured images of the scene.
Data from the California Fire Department showed that by the afternoon of January 8, the fire had rapidly spread westward along the Pacific Coast Highway towards Malibu, scorching an area exceeding 11,000 acres (44 square kilometers).
While California is typically windy at this time of year, the lack of rainfall has created weather conditions conducive to wildfires. Southern California has seen minimal rainfall since October of last year.
Climate scientist Daniel Swain noted that the region is going through one of its driest winters on record. For example, Los Angeles Airport has recorded a mere 0.03 inches (0.08 centimeters) of rain since October 1, which marks the driest start to a water year since the National Weather Service began keeping records in 1944. The water year in the state runs from October 1 each year.
Fox News commentator Jesse Watters likened the wildfire-ravaged cliffs of the Pacific coastline to “Hiroshima after the atomic bomb,” while investigations into the cause of the fires are ongoing.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office reported on January 12 that the death toll from the wildfire had risen to 24 people.