--- title: "The Skies in California Basically Look Like the Apocalypse Right Now" description: "Major wildfires are blanketing the West Coast right now, turning the skies an apocalyptic shade of orange. Parts of the Bay Area are seeing snowing ash." date: "2020-09-09" modified: "2020-09-09" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/skies-california-look-like-apocalypse" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "california" - "climate change" - "wildfires" --- # The Skies in California Basically Look Like the Apocalypse Right Now ![Major wildfires are blanketing the West Coast right now, turning the skies an apocalyptic shade of orange. Parts of the Bay Area are seeing snowing ash.]() *\Image: @mithrilmaker/Twitter\* As if a pandemic of unprecedented proportions wasn't enough, major wildfires are now blanketing the West Coast — and turning the skies an apocalyptic shade of orange. Certain parts of the Bay Area, near San Francisco, are even [seeing ash snowing down]() from the gloomy skies. https://twitter.com/mithrilmaker/status/1303715600963792896 The sun isn't expected to make an appearance for several days, [according to meteorologists](). Health officials are instructing residents to stay inside, and avoid outdoor activity, with air conditioners on and windows and doors closed. Oregon governor Kate Brown [declared a statewide emergency]() on Tuesday, with thousands of Oregonians being evacuated from their homes due to declining conditions. "We do not have context for this amount of fire on the landscape," Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry, told reporters on Tuesday, [as quoted by *Oregon Public Broadcasting*](). https://twitter.com/geoffreyfowler/status/1303723975525113857 In sum, it's a climate catastrophe that has come home to roost — despite decades of evidence. "We can no longer assume that there will always be a habitable planet for us — because unless we enact major changes now, there won’t be," wrote Los Angeles local Henry Mantel in [a letter]() to the *LA Times*. https://twitter.com/DoctorWC/status/1303712254647349252 And temperatures keep climbing. Los Angeles recently recorded its highest temperature on record: a [blistering 121 degrees]() in Woodland Hills, a west LA neighborhood. The fires are raging with such a ferocity, in fact, that they can be easily [spotted from space](). A single gigantic cloud of dust recorded on September 6 even started obscuring all other scientific readings. https://twitter.com/m_roqo/status/1303703445979815937 Warm air from fires rising up carrying water vapor with it can create a "thunderhead cloud" — as its name suggests, an apocalyptic clash of fire and lightning, the latter of which can even end up creating new fires, [according to NASA](). **READ MORE:** [Bay Area sky turns bright orange, some areas see 'snowing' ash]() \[*SF Gate*\] **More on climate change:** *[The Majority of Gen Z Thinks Climate Change Is Inevitable]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()