Cities of the west coast of the United States shrouded in red mist

Frederic Larson / Frederic Larson

Several cities along the west coast of the United States are shrouded in red skies and thick smoke.

It looks like a scene straight out of Mars, writes CNN. Others describe the areas along the west coast of the United States as apocalyptic.

In San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkley, daylight has been replaced by a dark, orange-red sky.

The explanation for the phenomenon is that the wind carries smoke from several powerful forest fires. The thick smoke mixed with ash means that sunlight does not let through, creating a red mist.

Right now, there are 40 major fires in the states of California, Oregon and Washington, according to CNN.

The channel writes that California’s Madera and Fresno fires have been extinguishing areas the size of Central Park every 30 minutes for the past few days, and record fires are being reported in Washington and Oregon.

In the Bay Area in California, the poor air quality alarm has been going on for 25 days in a row, which is a new record for the number of consecutive days, a spokesperson for the Quality Management District told CNN. of the Bay Area Air.

In some areas, residents are advised to stay indoors.

Several climate activists now say that the sensational images of the reddened cities are a symbol of the climate crisis, because the wildfires are due to climate change.

Former President Barack Obama has posted several photos of the orange and smoky cities on his Instagram account and writes:

– The fires along the West Coast are just the latest example of the very real ways that the changing climate is changing our society. Being able to protect the planet is on the ballot. Vote as if your life depended on it, because it does.