A striking view of Earth from space shows smoke from West Coast wildfires clouding seas
Sep 13, 2020, 04:20 IST
- A view from space shows smoke from wildfires clouding the West Coast and into the ocean.
- Over 85 major fires are burning throughout the West Coast, and have led to more than two dozen deaths in the region spanning California, Oregon, and Washington.
- Climate change is a driving force behind the large fires that are devastating communities. Over the past four decades, the average temperature has risen while precipitation has dropped during the wildfire season in California, according to a Stanford analysis.
- These changes create an environment that has more than doubled the number of extreme wildfire risk days for the state, Business Insider's Susie Neilson previously reported.
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- Read more:
- A color-coded map shows the biggest wildfires raging up and down the West Coast
- 3 of California's 4 largest fires ever are burning right now, including the biggest in state history
- Meet California's new normal: more lightning, 30% less rain in wildfire season, and double the number of fire-risk days
- The 10 deadliest wildfires in US history