December 23, 2024

Southern California Under Smoke – Groves of Giant Sequoias Threatened by Intense Fires

September 24, 2021
The KNP fire complex and Windy fire are threatening groves of giant sequoias and prompting authorities to release evacuation orders.
NASA satellites first found indications of the KNP fire complex and the Windy fire within Sequoia National Park and the Tule River Reservation on September 10, 2021. 2 weeks later on, the wind-fueled and lightning-triggered blazes have actually spread out and grown more intense, threatening groves of giant sequoias and triggering authorities to provide evacuation orders.
On the morning of September 24, 2021, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 17 (GOES-17) caught this natural-color image of vast plumes of smoke streaming from the fires and smothering Southern California. GOES-17 is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); NASA assists release the goes and establish series of satellites.

Since September 24, 2021, firefighting authorities in California reported the Windy fire was 6 percent included and the KMP fire complex was 0 percent included.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens, utilizing GOES 17 imagery thanks to NOAA and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS).

By Adam Voiland, NASA Earth Observatory
September 25, 2021