Station Fire over California
The Station Fire of 2009 is known to Californians as one of the most intense wildfires in recent memory. This fire, which began on Aug. 26, 2009, burned through the area of La Canada/Flintridge near NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and wasn’t fully contained until Oct. 16, 2009. While California commonly endures quick-moving brush fires, the Station Fire burned timber at higher elevations. Ultimately, the Station Fire destroyed 160,577 acres of land outside Los Angeles. Pictured here is the Station Fire on Aug. 30 as captured by NASA’s Terra satellite. Smoke is covering parts of the San Gabriel Mountains in the left side of the image. Part of Los Angeles and Orange County were affected as the smoke drifts east toward the Mojave Desert.