Images
May 24, 2026 - Burn Scars in California
Tweet
An outbreak of wildfires struck Southern California in mid-May 2026, leaving the landscape charred and forcing thousands of people from their home. On May 21, the California Governor’s Official Emergency Service reported that fires were burning in Ventura, Riverside, San Diego, and Santa Barbara counties. The hardest hit was Ventura county, where 33,959 were under evacuation orders on that date. In addition, evacuation orders affected 3,300 in Riverside and 40 people in Santa Barbara.
The largest fire struck Santa Rosa Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park. On Friday, May 15, 2026, an aircraft flying over the Park reported a wildfire on Santa Rosa Island. The National Park Service (NPS) staff already on the island confirmed it later that morning. The Santa Rosa Island Fire is located on the southeastern end of the island in remote and rugged terrain. This is a full-suppression human-caused wildfire and is under investigation. Three structures and a campsite have been destroyed and, as of May 23, 18,379 acres were burnt. InciWeb reports that the fire is 87 percent contained.
On May 20, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this false-color image of burn scars in Southern California.
The largest burn scar—the damaged land left behind after a fire—can be seen on Santa Rosa Island while additional smaller brick-red burn scars dot the mainland. The silvery sheen of sunglint highlights the islands and burn scars and adds drama to the image. Sunglint is an optical phenomenon caused when sunlight reflects off water directly back to the satellite sensor. The result is a bright mirror-like glare where water is smooth. Turbulent water scatters light and appears dark, as can be seen on the southeastern side of the islands.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/20/2026
Resolutions:
1km (69.8 KB), 500m (169.8 KB), 250m (182.7 KB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
An outbreak of wildfires struck Southern California in mid-May 2026, leaving the landscape charred and forcing thousands of people from their home. On May 21, the California Governor’s Official Emergency Service reported that fires were burning in Ventura, Riverside, San Diego, and Santa Barbara counties. The hardest hit was Ventura county, where 33,959 were under evacuation orders on that date. In addition, evacuation orders affected 3,300 in Riverside and 40 people in Santa Barbara.
The largest fire struck Santa Rosa Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park. On Friday, May 15, 2026, an aircraft flying over the Park reported a wildfire on Santa Rosa Island. The National Park Service (NPS) staff already on the island confirmed it later that morning. The Santa Rosa Island Fire is located on the southeastern end of the island in remote and rugged terrain. This is a full-suppression human-caused wildfire and is under investigation. Three structures and a campsite have been destroyed and, as of May 23, 18,379 acres were burnt. InciWeb reports that the fire is 87 percent contained.
On May 20, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this false-color image of burn scars in Southern California.
The largest burn scar—the damaged land left behind after a fire—can be seen on Santa Rosa Island while additional smaller brick-red burn scars dot the mainland. The silvery sheen of sunglint highlights the islands and burn scars and adds drama to the image. Sunglint is an optical phenomenon caused when sunlight reflects off water directly back to the satellite sensor. The result is a bright mirror-like glare where water is smooth. Turbulent water scatters light and appears dark, as can be seen on the southeastern side of the islands.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/20/2026
Resolutions:
1km (69.8 KB), 500m (169.8 KB), 250m (182.7 KB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
