Massive wildfires leave thick blanket of smoke over entire West Coast, satellites show

Smoke from wildfires is so bad it can be seen from space — and it’s blanketing the entire West Coast, satellite images show.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, posted a satellite video Friday that shows smoke taking over the entire West Coast as massive wildfires burn across multiple states.

The thick smoke is seen blanketing the entire coasts of Washington, Oregon and California.

The wildfires have grown so large that the smoke has been seen from space for weeks, McClatchy News reported.As of Friday afternoon, Portland and Seattle had the worst air quality in the world.

Nearly 3.1 million acres have burned in California already this year — a record-setting amount, according to the Sacramento Bee.

At least 15 people have died from the wildfires this week in Washington, Oregon and California, according to CNN. An estimated 500,000 residents “are under an evacuation warning or order” in Oregon as of Thursday, which is more than 10% of the state’s population, according to The Washington Post.

The smoke from the massive fires has already started to make its way east. People as far as Ohio and Michigan could even see effects of the smoke, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.

“The only thing we usually get from that is a hazy sunrise or sunset,” Bryan Tilley, National Weather Service meteorologist in White Lake Township, told the Detroit Free Press. “If smoke from the wildfires makes it this far east, its going to be at high altitudes and so keeps it affecting air quality in the Detroit area.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said wildfire smoke can be harmful to people’s eyes and respiratory system, and it can make chronic heart and lung conditions worse.

“Wildfire smoke is a mix of gases and fine particles from burning vegetation, building materials, and other materials,” the CDC said on its website. “Wildfire smoke can make anyone sick.”

This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Massive wildfires leave thick blanket of smoke over entire West Coast, satellites show."