Smoke from the Fallbrook Fire and Dust from Baja

Smoke from the Fallbrook Fire and Dust from Baja

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) captured this true-color image of many large dust plumes blowing oceanward from Baja California, Mexico. At various places among the yellowish-brown dust plumes, whiter smoke plumes are also visible; including a small smoke plume (visible in the high-resolution image) coming from the Fallbrook, California, area.

The Fallbrook wildfire is located roughly 75 km (47 miles) due north of San Diego, and about 115 km (70 miles) due west of the Salton Sea. According to regional newspaper reports, the Fallbrook blaze has already consumed at least 40 structures, including a number of homes, and injured 11 people. High winds are fanning the flames toward Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base.

Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE