Thomas Fire
The Landsat 8 satellite captured these images of the Thomas Fire in Ventura County, California on December 9, 2017. The true-color image (left) shows the fire’s thick smoke plumes. The false-color image (right) reveals the active fires (orange), burn scar (brown, bottom right), and vegetation (green).
A fast-moving brush fire, the Thomas Fire started on December 4. It was fanned by the Santa Anna winds and burned at a rate of almost an acre per second. By the time it was contained on January 8, 2018, it had consumed 281,893 acres and destroyed 1,063 structures.
Image Number: WEB15738-2018
Joshua Stevens, USGS
