A catastrophic wildfire is raging outside of Los Angeles, threatening nearby neighborhoods and infrastructure. The Eaton Fire, one of several damaging blazes in the region, has already destroyed 4,627 structures as of January 15. The blaze has also injured firefighters and taken lives.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which operates out of a nearby site, narrowly escaped damage after being evacuated due to critical fire conditions on January 8. A recent aerial image from NASA’s AVIRIS-3 instrument shows the extent of the destruction caused by the wildfire.
The fire, which started in wooded hills outside of Altadena, has burned over 14,117 acres and threatened JPL within a 1-kilometer radius. Conditions were ripe for flames due to a hot summer, dry fall, and potent windstorm.
Despite being evacuated, NASA’s employees have been severely impacted by the fire, with over 150 losing their homes and many more displaced.
Source: https://mashable.com/article/nasa-shows-los-angeles-eaton-fire-damage