A devastating combination of wildfires, fierce Santa Ana winds and drought have turned parts of the greater Los Angeles area into a disaster zone. Multiple large wildfires are causing mass evacuations and destroying homes and buildings. As flames blaze across the country, views from space are tracking the fire's movements across Los Angeles County.
Read more: Los Angeles Fires: Donations, Relief Efforts and How to Help Fire Victims
The numbers are almost incomprehensible. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, is monitoring fires. As of Thursday morning, the Palisades Fire had burned more than 17,000 acres and was zero percent contained. The next largest is the Eaton Fire, at 10,600 acres and also zero percent contained. Other smaller fires are also active, including the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills near landmarks like the Hollywood Sign and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The cause of the wildfires is under investigation.
ESA's Sentinel-2 satellite spotted smoke from the Palisades Fire shortly after it started on January 7.
NASA's Earth Observatory public outreach effort is shared satellite images showing the smoke billowing from above, with a focus on the Palisades Fire, which broke out on January 7. An initial image from the European Space Agency's Earth observation satellite Sentinel-2 showed early smoke from the fire on the morning of January 7. Even at that stage, it generated a huge amount of smoke as it grew rapidly.
The smoke plume from the Palisades Fire grew significantly later in the day on Jan. 7, as seen in this NASA Aqua satellite image.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured the view later on January 7. The image highlights the spread of the fire and the expansion of smoke billowing into the Pacific Ocean.
“Although windy conditions are typical for this time of year, the lack of rain contributed to the dangerous fire weather,” NASA said.
They also watch other satellites. The NASA-built GOES-West satellite is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA makes current images available to the public. The satellite view of Southwest Pacific covers Los Angeles. The satellite captured the wide rings of smoke from the fires on January 9.
A closer look by NOAA's GOES-West satellite at the Los Angeles wildfires on January 9.
The fires are close to home for NASA. The agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory — home base for many of NASA's major space exploration missions — is in the mandatory evacuation zone for the Eaton fire. JPL plans to remain closed until Monday. “Currently, JPL facilities, laboratories and hardware are secured and protected. the organization said in the January 8 update.
Firefighters have a long battle ahead of them. Sustained high winds and dry conditions make the fires difficult to control. Los Angeles County residents can contact Cal Fire at Watch the Duty app for updates.
Here are ways to help those affected by the fires. Satellites will continue to monitor the situation from above.