Monitoring North American Wildfires by Satellite | NOAA

Monitoring North American Wildfires by Satellite | NOAA

Roughly 100 wildfires are raging out of control across the western United States and hundreds more are burning in Canada, destroying homes, forcing evacuations, and affecting air quality. NOAA satellites have been closely monitoring these blazes, including California’s Park Fire, which is currently the largest active wildfire in the U.S.

The Park Fire, which started on July 24, 2024, is believed to have been ignited by arson. A suspect has been arrested, accused of pushing a burning car into a gully, sparking the blaze. As of Aug. 1, the fire has consumed 392,480 acres across Butte, Plumas, Shasta, and Tehama counties. Fueled by very dry grass and brush, and driven by strong winds, the fire was only 18% contained. 

Video Credits: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA, CIRA

Park Fire photo courtesy of CalFire.

Park Fire video courtesy of CalFire/UC San Diego.

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: Aug. 1, 2024

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