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NASA image reveals Northern California wildfires

A combination of drought and lightning has led to several Northern California wildfires.

By Brooks Hays
Fires in Northern California continue to burn thousands of acres. Photo by NASA/EO
1 of 2 | Fires in Northern California continue to burn thousands of acres. Photo by NASA/EO

SACRAMENTO, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- California continues to burn. So far, 134,000 acres have been scarred by flames. The wildfire season is on pace to be one of the most destructive in years.

Several of the most damaging fires currently burning are in Northern California. On Monday morning, one of NASA's Earth Observatory satellites captured an aerial image of the fires plaguing the region.

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Included in the image is Rocky Fire, the largest active wildfire in the state at 60,000 burned acres and counting. It's currently only 12 percent contained. More than 13,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes as a result of the Central Valley blaze.

The latest image was captured by the MODIS camera on NASA's Terra satellite, which orbits the Earth at an altitude of roughly 450 miles.

"Red outlines indicate hot spots where the sensor detected unusually warm surface temperatures associated with fires," NASA officials wrote in a description of the newly release image. "Plumes of smoke are visible drifting from the hot spots."

In addition to the Rocky Fire, the image shows the Mad River Complex Fire, which has burned 3,745 acres, and the Fork Complex Fire, which has burned 25,313 acres.

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Lightning storms in the north of the state have exacerbated the situation, sparking dozens of fires. These storms failed to bring much rain, but lower temperatures and higher humidity in California's northern regions were said to be aiding firefighters on Monday.

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