Strong winds are fueling the Alisal Fire in Southern California
Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features a satellite view of the Alisal fire located northwest of Santa Barbara, as strong winds pushed smoke over the Pacific Ocean. The fire ignited near the Alisal reservoir on October 11. Two days later, it had already consumed 13,400 acres.
Throughout the summer, large fires devastated forests in Northern California. Now that those fires are mostly extinguished, red- flag warnings and fires are emerging in Southern California.
The Alisal Fire currently threatens at least 100 structures, and continues to be fueled by strong winds. As the fire grows at a rapid pace, parts of Highway 101 have been closed and evacuations have begun in Santa Barbara County.
The image was captured on October 13, 2021 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite.
Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer
