The fires that have affected Los Angeles (USA) since this Tuesday, which have already claimed their first victims, have caused large plumes of smoke that are visible even from space. The outbreaks are fueled by the so-called Santa Ana winds, which are very dry and often cause fires in Southern California.
The Palisades fire, which has already burned more than 2,900 hectares, is spreading at about 160 kilometers per hour from the California coast to the Pacific Ocean. In fact, the smoke generated is shown in images from a weather satellite from the Cooperative Institute for Research on the Atmosphere (CIRA) at the University of Colorado.
In the image, shared by CIRA, you can see how smoke spreads from Los Angeles to the southwestpushed by the same intense winds that fan the flames. Thus, the column extends towards the Pacific Ocean, between the San Nicolás and Santa Catalina and San Clemente islands, belonging to the California Channel.
The strong wind in the area has made it easier for the fires to spread quickly, creating dangerous conditions for communities. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has explained that drafts and low humidity contribute to the “aggressive behavior” of the fire.
The National Weather Service (NWS) had warned on Monday that Southern California would be affected in the coming days by a wind storm which would mainly affect Los Angeles and Ventura counties. “High winds and low relative humidity will produce critical and extremely critical weather conditions in Southern California through Thursday,” reads an advisory on its website.
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