California is on fire, with more than 360 individual blazes burning across the state.
Not surprisingly, the effects are visible from space, as NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy today shared images (August 21) of enormous billows of smoke above California, visible from his rock on the International Space Station.
“Thank you to all the firefighters and emergency crews who work around the clock to contain these fires,” Cassidy said. said in the tweet. “Thoughts and prayers to all the people in the affected areas.”
Related: Raging California wildfires spotted from space (photos, video)
The catastrophic fire season in California is the result of unusual lightning storms that occur during a record-topping heat wave, according to The New York Times. In addition, the state is urgently requiring prisoners to man its crew members for arson, and prisons are particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Sacramento Bee..
The state even knew before today’s heat wave that this would be a difficult fire season. IN prediction of CALFIRE, the state’s firefighting agency, cited low rainfall rates that lead to high risks in northern California, particularly in August and September, and wind-induced fire risk in the southern part of the state later in the fall.
Thanks to all the firefighters and emergency crews who work around the clock to contain these fires. Thoughts and prayers to all people in the affected areas. #CaliforniaFires pic.twitter.com/XKx6Yak5bPAugust 20, 2020
NASA astronauts are accustomed to controlling disasters on Earth from their temporary home in space. Earlier this month, Cassidy shared image of Beirut, Lebanon, who saw devastating explosions.
Cassidy arrived at the space station in April with two Russian cosmonauts, and the trio will remain in orbit until October.
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