Satellite footage of west coast fires and the smoke clouds pouring out of them

There are many similarly spectacular satellite time-lapse animations to choose from, all horrifying, all sounding the same final alarm.

Above, images from the GOES-West satellite. From NOAA:

Following, a zoomed-out view showing the sheer size of the resulting smoke cloud, forming a vast cyclone spreading into the Pacific.

(GOES-West) monitored extreme wildfire activity on the West Coast in this GeoColor and fire temperature imagery from Sept. 8, 2020. This imagery shows hot spots and thick smoke plumes from multiple wildfires burning in Oregon and northern California. Although the traditional fire season hasn't begun yet, more than 70 wildfires are burning in six states. Dry vegetation, record heat, and high winds are fueling wildfire activity across the region, blanketing the area with smoke. A record 2.2 million acres have burned in California this year.

Above, a closer view of that plume. Below, a view of the U.S. as a whole from last week, showing how the plume differs from the weather patterns over the rest of the continent.