Science: Satellite images show the massive scale of destruction caused by the giant, fast-moving wildfire in Southern California that was still raging Friday (Jan. 10), killing at least 10 to 11 people, injuring many more and burning more than 34,000 acres of land, including thousands of homes and businesses.
The timelapse video above shows smoke billowing from the wind-driven Coastal Palisades fire in the lower left — the largest of five fast-moving wildfires in Southern California. This particular wildfire has devastated nearly 20,000 acres since it ignited Tuesday morning (Jan. 7), becoming the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history. At the time of writing, the Palisades fire is 8% contained.
Another large fire, the Eaton Fire, is seen in the upper right, devastating Altadena, Pasadena. The wildfire has burned about 10,600 acres and is still only 3% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Several buildings actively burning beneath a blanket of smoke from the blaze were photographed by Colorado-based Maxar Technologies, whose satellite is equipped with an infrared sensor that can detect fire hotspots on the ground through dense smoke.
The Eaton fire spread to the base of Mount Wilson on Thursday (Jan. 9), temporarily threatening several transmitters and antennas used for TV and radio station communications and knocking out power to the historic Mount Wilson Observatory.
Firefighters had the fire under control by Thursday evening and there have been no reports of damage to infrastructure. “Everyone on our core crew at the observatory is safe,” Dan Cohen, the observatory’s chief operating officer, told The New York Times. “Maybe exhausted, but they can sleep through the night now.”