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Stunning images captured by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite 22,300 miles in space show huge plumes of smoke and thermal signatures from the wildfires that broke out in northern California, including the huge Dixie Fire.
The high-resolution imagery – which was superimposed on thermal imagery to show hot spots of wildfires – was captured by NOAA’s GOES-17 satellite on Tuesday between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., John Leslie said, NOAA satellite spokesperson. The dramatic images show red-orange lands in areas where active forest fires have very high heat signatures, also known as hot spots or heat signatures, said John Bateman, a NOAA meteorologist.
The satellite captures images of wildfires, storm systems, lightning strikes, coastal fog “and other hazards” that affect the western United States, Hawaii and Alaska, Leslie said. It also gives a bird’s eye view of the fires burning in parts of northern California, including the Dixie Fire, which burned 274,139 acres and was 35% contained on Wednesday and swept through a ghost town from the era of the gold rush, the fire officials said.
Firefighters on Wednesday expected extreme fire behavior for the Dixie Fire incident and said the blaze would cause unhealthy air quality in the communities of Susanville and Mineral, and air quality very unhealthy in Chester. About 4,927 firefighters were fighting the blaze and building and strengthening control lines and protecting structures, the firefighters said.
A new wildfire, dubbed River Fire, broke out near the town of Colfax in Placer County on Wednesday afternoon and caused evacuations in the area.
The river fire quickly burned 1,000 acres in the Milk Ranch Road and Bear River Campground Road area and was 0% contained as of Wednesday afternoon, Cal Fire officials said.
Here’s a look at other wildfires in California:
• Hidden fire: The 50-acre blaze at Dale Lane and Panther Road, located south of Cloverdale in Shasta County, was 95% contained on Wednesday, firefighters said.
• House fire: The blaze, which started on Highway 299 and Tollhouse Road west of Redding on Wednesday, burned 20 acres and was 15% contained on Wednesday, firefighters said.
• Tamarack fire: The lightning-triggered fire near South Lake Tahoe burned 68,696 acres and was 82% contained on Wednesday, fire officials said. Fire activity in the region has increased due to extremely dry and windy conditions that have moved over the blaze area, officials said.
• McFarland fire: The lightning-triggered fire that started at McFarland Ridge and Baker Flat, west of Platina, Shasta County, burned 20,005 acres and was 5% contained on Wednesday, fire officials said.
• Antelope fire: The lightning-triggered blaze was moving north towards Tennant in Siskiyou County on Wednesday, fire officials said. The blaze was “very active” in the upper canopy of trees in the afternoon, firefighters said. Spot fires were seen half a mile “before the main fire,” firefighters said.
• Peak fire: That fire burned 2,098 acres of grass and brush south of Lake Isabella between Walker Basin and the Kern River Valley, fire officials said. The fire was 98% under control on Wednesday.
• The late Evans: The lightning-triggered fire burned 85 acres and is burning about a mile east of Evans Peak and is expected to continue burning north towards the Lassen National Forest, fire officials said.
• Antonio Feu: The fire is burning in the Glendora Ridge Road and Sunset Peak area, located west of Mount Baldy in Los Angeles County, firefighters have said.
Lauren Hernández is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter:
@ByLHernandez
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