Fires in Southern California

Fires in Southern California

On Thursday, November 1, 2007, the National Interagency Fire Center reported that the Poomacha Fire in Southern California was 85 percent contained, having burned more than 50,000 acres. The fire started in a structure on the La Jolla Indian Reservation and spread to surrounding woods and brush. The fire had destroyed 143 homes, 77 outbuildings, and 1 commercial property as of November 1.

This high-resolution image from the Taiwanese FORMOSAT-2 satellite shows part of the fire on October 24, one day after it ignited. The influence of the Santa Ana winds is apparent in the westward direction of the smoke. Beneath the smoke, bright spots indicate areas of open flame. The large image shows the active front of the fire stretching in a long line to the southeast.

Image courtesy Dr. Cheng-Chien Liu, National Cheng-Kung University / Dr. An-Ming Wu, National Space Organization, Taiwan