--- title: "Astronauts Alarmed by Huge Fires on Surface of Earth" description: "NASA astronaut Megan McArthur told Insider about the unfortunate experience of being stationed on board the ISS while wildfires are raging across the world." date: "2021-08-16" modified: "2021-08-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/astronauts-flames-surface-earth" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "NASA" - "the digest" - "wildfires" --- # Astronauts Alarmed by Huge Fires on Surface of Earth ![NASA astronaut Megan McArthur told Insider about the unfortunate experience of being stationed on board the ISS while wildfires are raging across the world.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Earth in Flames It's no secret that our planet is [literally]() and [figuratively]() on fire right now. In fact, some wildfires are so large that they can now easily spotted from space — an unfortunate perspective of what may be our impending doom. During a [recent call with *Insider*](), NASA astronaut Megan McArthur described the grim experience of being stationed on board the International Space Station while the Earth is in turmoil below. "We've been very saddened to see fires over huge sections of the Earth, not just the United States," McArthur told the outlet. She also took the opportunity to call for action. "Over many years, scientists around the world have been sounding this alarm bell," she told *Insider*. "This is a warning for the entire global community. It's going to take the entire global community to face this and to work through these challenges." ## Wildfire Season Satellite images show huge regions across the entire planet engulfed in clouds of smoke of astronomical proportions, from [Siberia](), [Greece](), and [Spain]() all the way to the [Pacific Northwest](). Turkey has been hit particularly badly this year, as evidenced in [videos of vacationers]() clearing beaches as the fires are raging in the background. Some, like the Bootleg Fire in Southern Oregon, are so huge that they're creating their own [freak weather patterns](). The US is even [struggling to recruit enough firefighters](). Last week, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a shocking report [declaring "code red for humanity]()." Seeing that demise from several hundred miles floating above the Earth's surface must be shocking, to say the least. **READ MORE:** [Astronauts say they're saddened to watch the climate crisis from the space station: 'We can see all of those effects from up here']() \[*Insider*\] **More on wildfire:** *[There Are So Many Wildfires That the US Can’t Find Enough Firefighters]()* ## 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]()