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SAN FRANCISCO, KOMPAS.com – Smoke plumes from wildfires in the state of California, United States (US), covered the city of San Francisco and caused the sky over the region to turn orange.
Approximately 14,000 firefighters battle 28 major fire outbreaks in California amid a historic heat wave that swept through the region.
Wildfires have burned more than 2.5 million hectares in the state this year and have killed at least eight people.
On Wednesday (9/9/2020), strong winds blew smoke and ash from several fires on the north side of the state.
Also read: Before California 2020, these are the 8 largest wildfires in the US Since 1990
Neighbors in and around San Francisco woke up under a dark sky that left some confused and thought it was still night.
“It feels like the end of the world,” said Catherine Geeslin, who lives in West Portal. Chronicle of San Francisco.
“It’s terrible to see that it’s still dark. And it would be strange to have lunch in the dark. But you still have to go about your day,” Geeslin added.
Local media reported that it still looked like sunrise at 10:45 p.m. local time, as the sunlight had difficulty penetrating the thick smoke.
Also read: Save the family, this teenager drives through the California wildfires
On Wednesday, authorities said three people were killed in Northern California.
In a post on Twitter, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), said the “thick plume of smoke” and “very thick” “almost completely blocked the sun.”
That smoke, experts say, is also the reason the orange sky covers the region.
Smoke particles from wildfires “only allow yellow-orange-red light to reach the surface, making the sky appear orange,” explained the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in Twitter
Also read: Forest fires in California, 1-year-old boy killed
“This is not a common sight because it requires very specific conditions for it to happen,” said National Weather Service official Brian Garcia. SFGate.
“Obviously, you need a fire that produces a lot of smoke,” Garcia added.
As the wildfires continue, meteorologists predict similar conditions in the coming days.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown said it was a “once in a generation event” that could cause “the greatest loss of human life and property in the history of this state.” Authorities said at least two people died.
In Washington state, a one-year-old boy died after his family was seen engulfed in flames while trying to flee their home.
Also read: Red Burning USA and California wildfires are spreading faster than usual
