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There are currently more than 360 fires throughout California, forcing approximately 50,000 people to evacuate. 

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The LNU Lightning Complex Fire, is around 350,000 acres in size, making it the second-largest wildfire in California history.

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The plumes of smoke can be seen from Earth-observing satellites, billowing out 250 miles into the Pacific Ocean.

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California’s weather has been especially conducive to fires, with heat waves, droughts, and lightning occurring simultaneously.

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The state has had an exceptionally dry start to 2020, ranging from abnormally dry to severe droughts in some areas. 

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The droughts, coupled with heat waves bringing land surface temperatures up to over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, have created precisely what fire needs to burn: Fuel. 

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Dried-out trees and brush make for sustaining, fast-spreading fires. A recent surge of lightning provided the spark in many places.

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In one 72-hour period in August, there were nearly 11,000 lightning strikes over the state. 

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Some of the fires that started due to those strikes have combined and formed large complexes of fires, like the LNU Lightning Complex and the SCU Lightning Complex. 

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Air quality is also a major issue. Wildfire smoke carries tiny particles into the air called aerosols that can affect breathing.

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On August 19, atmospheric testing showed that Northern California had the worst air quality in the world that day.

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Black carbon, or soot, is also a harmful byproduct of wildfire smoke, and can be seen here through NASA’s GEOS-FP model. 

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But California is no stranger to wildfires. As the state becomes drier and hotter, fire seasons burn longer and more intensely.

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