Fire in Baja California

Hot, dry weather and strong winds fueled wildland fires in Baja California in late January 2025. Seasonal Santa Ana winds blew in from dry areas inland and accelerated down the Sierra Juarez mountain range, creating conditions where a few sparks and small brush fires could quickly escalate. The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of smoke streaming from a large fire in the El Escondido area of Ensenada on January 23, 2025. The image was captured at 1:44 p.m. Pacific Time (21:44 Universal Time).