Astronaut spots California wildfires from space, sends ‘thoughts and prayers’ to victims – Live Science

In an image NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy shared on Aug. 21, 2020, smoke billows above California, which is combating extra than 360 fires.

(Image: © NASA)

California is on hearth, with extra than 360 particular person blazes hot across the instruct.

Unsurprisingly, the outcomes are visible from situation, as NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy shared photos this day (Aug. 21) of astronomical billows of smoke above California as seen from his perch on the World Dwelling Space.

“As a consequence of all the fire warring parties and emergency teams who are working across the clock seeking to glean these fires contained,” Cassidy talked about in the tweet. “Thoughts and prayers to all the other folks in the impacted areas.”

Connected: Raging California wildfires spotted from situation (photos, video)

California’s subtle hearth season is the outcomes of outlandish lightning-prosperous storms occurring right through a myth-topping heatwave, according to The New York Instances. Furthermore, the instruct relies heavily of inmates to workforce its firefighting crews, and prisons had been hit notably badly by the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Sacramento Bee..

The instruct knew even earlier than the original heatwave that this would be a worldly hearth season. A forecast from CALFIRE, the instruct’s firefighting agency, cited low precipitation charges leading to excessive wretchedness in northern California, notably in August and September, and wind-precipitated hearth wretchedness in the southern section of the instruct later in the topple. 

As a consequence of all the fire warring parties and emergency teams who are working across the clock seeking to glean these fires contained. Thoughts and prayers to all the other folks in the impacted areas. #CaliforniaFires pic.twitter.com/XKx6Yak5bPAugust 20, 2020

NASA astronauts are veteran to monitoring disasters on Earth from their non permanent dwelling in situation. Earlier this month, Cassidy shared an yell of Beirut, Lebanon, which seen devastating explosions.

Cassidy arrived at the placement situation in April with two Russian cosmonauts, and the trio will dwell in orbit except October.

Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@situation.com or practice her on Twitter @meghanbartels. Be conscious us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.