California Wildfires Continue to Burn and are so Large They Can be Seen From Space

Wildfires in South California continue to burn thanks to severe drought conditions and high temperatures. Firefighters are still battling the nine wildfires that have already burned over 15 square miles of land and forced thousands of evacuations.

NASA has been viewing the results of the 2014 wildfire season from space as areas burn in southern California and northwestern Mexico. The NASA Earth Observatory provides aerial pictures of the fires from space, where you can see the smoking drifting off the Pacific Coast. Thus far, eight homes, an 18-unit condominium complex, and two businesses have been destroyed in California, and the first death was reported on Friday.

The city of San Marcos is facing the brunt of the fires, with 380 fire personnel and 84 engines responding to the blaze. The 1.3-square-mile fire in the city prompted Governor Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency, closing roads, evacuating residents, and sending aircraft to battle the blaze. The current drought that has caused the wildfires will need nine to 15 inches of precipitation in one month for it to conclude, according to Weather Underground meteorologist, Jeff Masters.

The firefighters and other respondents will now have to face "firenados," caused by fierce winds. If the drought continues, a stray "firenado" could begin a new fire elsewhere and exacerbate the spread. Nearby cities are now at risk, which could result in more evacuations.

"It's scariest at the moment, with the fire now like 100 yards from the homes," said San Marcos resident Kevin Giesey in this CNN News article. "I worry about the embers jumping into the grass next to the homes. It's frightening."

San Marcos has already evacuated nearly 13,000 people because of the growing fires. San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore says they are investigating possibilities of the fire's origin, which include arson and sparks from vehicles. They arrested two teens who tried starting two brushfires on Thursday.

The fires began on Tuesday, forcing school shutdowns and over 125,000 evacuation notices. Containing the fire could be even more of a challenge since the temperatures remain in the high 90s to low 100s. President Obama ordered the deployment of large air tankers to help fight the fire.