See dramatic views from space of California’s raging Garnet Fire
A satellite view of the Garnet Fire shows an enormous plume of smoke billowing over central California in the mountains northeast of Fresno.
The Garnet Fire has burned nearly 57,000 acres as of Wednesday afternoon. It went over Dinkey Creek and moved into McKinley Grove in the Sierra National Forest, where it threatened hundreds of giant sequoia trees, the Fresno Bee reported.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a Dense Smoke Advisory “for a portion of the Sierra Nevada and surrounding foothills from Madera County to northern Tulare County due to smoke from the #GarnetFire,” the agency said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Reduced visibilities 1-2 mi in dense smoke which could result in hazardous driving conditions.”
The blaze and its massive clouds of smoke were spotted from CSU/CIRA and NOAA satellites.
The smoke is affecting Fresno’s air quality, and large plumes of smoke from the fire were visible from several areas around Fresno, including Highway 168, the Fresno Bee reported.
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District issued an Air Quality Advisory last week, warning residents to stay indoors to minimize the risk of exposure to particulate matter from the fires.
The risk had reduced to moderate by Tuesday, but affects can still be felt into Yosemite Valley.
Several people posted photos of the smoke on social media.
“Had planned a hike today in the high country to see my pika but woke up with a headache from the smoke,” said Beth Pratt, the regional executive director of California for the National Wildlife Federation. “And the webcams are showing a smoke filled Yosemite.”
Another person posted a video of the smoke plume from State Route 180.
“The Garnet fire viewed off of 180 in a small community called Squaw Valley in Fresno (county),” they said in the post on X. “Crazy.”
Where is the Garnet Fire burning?
The fire sparked by a lightning strike on Aug. 24 has since burned an area from the Kings River at the southern edge to McKinley Grove, west from Fence Meadow past Black Rock Reservoir in the east, the Fresno Bee reported.
It then pushed northwest “driven by alignment up drainages, heavy fuels in continuous timber stands with significant loads and low humidities,” the United States Forest Service said.
The Dinkey Creek Inn and General Store said on social media Sept. 7 it was added to the evacuation zone, and the Dinkey Creek Campground was closed to the public last week.
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "See dramatic views from space of California’s raging Garnet Fire."
