NASA's Suomi NPP satellite captures North California wildfires from space

California declared a state of emergency after close to 11,000 lightning strikes resulted in nearly 367 wildfires, threatened residences, and burned down over 300,000 acres across the state. The wildfire has also set over hundreds of people on fire and led to the evacuation of thousands in the area.

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NASA's Suomi NPP satellite captures the state covered in smoke

While firefighters continue to battle the Dolan Fire, a satellite image has emerged online that gives a look at the state covered in clouds of smoke. NOAA/NASA's Suomi NPP satellite was able to capture shots of the frightening event that sparked multiple fires across the North California region.

Image credits: NASA

NASA has a range of satellite instruments that are generally the first ones to identify the wildfires burning in remote locations. The locations of these fires are immediately forwarded to land managers around the world in just a few hours of the satellite overpass. The space agency has also released a statement detailing the incident and when it all started.

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"The majority of these fires started on or around August 17, 2020. The fires range in size from 14 acres, the Beach Fire, all the way up to the largest of these fires, the Canyon Zone fire which is a complex of six fires, that is a total of 10,000 acres and 0% contained."

The California Fire officials have stated that there have been more than firefighters who had risked their lives to bring down the 20 different blazes burning in rugged terrain that has broken across three separate zones, including the Calaveras Zone, Canyon Zone, and Deer Zone.

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The California State Parks authorities have also detained a man belonging to the California region in connection with the wildfire incident on suspicion of arson in Big Sur. According to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, the man named Ivan Geronimo Gomez is being held on a $2 million bail.

The Sheriff’s office has stated that the origin of the wildfire is not yet clear, which means that it cannot be attributed to a lightning strike just yet. An investigation is said to be underway.

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Image credits: NASA