The Earth is ablaze: satellites reveal how wildfires in California spiral out of control (video).

On the morning of Tuesday, January 7, a wildfire broke out in Palisades, spreading to 1,214 hectares within just one day. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes and businesses. Local authorities report that the threat remains due to gusty winds, and additional orders may soon be issued, according to Space.

The fire is believed to have been ignited by strong winds and has affected the Pacific and Palisades neighborhoods located in west Los Angeles. Local officials also state that the deadly blaze continues to rage in some parts of Los Angeles in Southern California, while scientists are monitoring the spread of fire and smoke using satellites from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Crucial information regarding the fire's progression is being provided to community leaders, firefighters, and meteorologists from satellites equipped with instruments capable of continuously photographing and tracking the fire and the resulting smoke plumes.

To achieve this, NOAA researchers utilize two types of satellites at their disposal. Both operate in tandem, allowing for effective monitoring of the wildfire:

• Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES);
• Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS).

Researchers note that both satellites are equipped with next-generation tools for observing our planet, but there are differences. While JPSS orbits the Earth in a polar, non-geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of 824 kilometers, GOES satellites orbit above the same point on Earth at an altitude of 35,786 kilometers.

As a result, scientists utilize various filters and spectral ranges on the instruments aboard both satellites, enabling them to create powerful images that show the growth and movement of fire and smoke in almost real-time.

Through frame-by-frame imaging, researchers have managed to capture the fire's location, as well as how it has increased in size and intensity over time. Scientists have also tracked the direction in which the winds are pushing the smoke plume — its movement was captured on video.

Using a similar instrument aboard the second satellite, scientists were able to take images highlighting the hotspots from the fire and the length of the smoke plume extending over the ocean. Researchers emphasize that these tools are extremely important, as without them, firefighters and forecasters would have to rely solely on ground reports, which can sometimes be inaccessible or arrive late.