Dixie fire, 3000 km² monster devours northern Californian forest

Sentinel-2 MSI acquired on 13 July 2021 at 18:49:19 UTC
Sentinel-3 SLSTR RBT acquired on 14 July 2021 at 18:18:44 UTC
Sentinel-2 MSI acquired on 22 August 2021 at 18:49:19 UTC
Author(s): Sentinel Vision team, VisioTerra, France - svp@visioterra.fr
Keyword(s): Wildfire, emergency, drought, heatwave, forestry, climate change, California, USA, United States
Fig. 1 - S2 (13.07.2021) - Nearly 5500 firefighters are still working the Dixie Fire as it enters its 45th day burning through Northern California.
2D view
Fig. 2 - S3 SLSTR (14.07.2021) - The origin of Dixie fire is visible at south-west.
2D view
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has stated that it believes the fire may have been started by its equipment. Its responsibility was already pointed for multiple wildfires in the years 2015–2018.
Fig. 3 - S2 (22.08.2021) - Smoke from the Dixie Fire caused unhealthy air quality throughout the Western United States.
2D view
On August 6 in Salt Lake City the PM2.5 level was the worst air quality in the world.
Fig. 4 - S2 (13.07.2021 & 22.08.2021) - The extent of the fire exceeded 3000 km² by the end of August.
2D animation 2D view
By August 6 it had grown to become the largest single (i.e. non-complex) wildfire in the state's history, and the 2nd largest overall (after the August Complex fire of 2020).
Fig. 5 - S2 (22.08.2021) - The fire has damaged or destroyed several small towns, including Greenville (1000 inhabitants) on August 4.
2D animation
At least 26000 people have been evacuated. No casualty has been reported but 8 people are missing and 3 firefighters have been injured. Over 1200 buildings have burnt.
The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Space Agency or the European Union.
Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025, processed by VisioTerra.
More on European Commission space:
More on ESA: S-1 website S-2 website S-3 website
More on Copernicus program: Scihub portal Cophub portal Inthub portal Colhub portal
More on VisioTerra: Sentinel Vision Portal Envisat+ERS portal Swarm+GOCE portal CryoSat portal