A firefighter works the scene as flames push towards homes during the Creek fire in the Cascadel Woods area of unincorporated Madera County, California on September 7, 2020.
Josh Edelson | AFP | Getty Images
San Francisco Bay Area residents awoke to darkened orange and yellow skies on Wednesday morning, as smoke from fires raging across California and the west rose into the upper atmosphere and blotted out the sun.
This tweet from the National Weather Service explains what’s happening:
Contributing to the smoke was the Bear Fire, which grew extremely rapidly overnight:
The Creek Fire, which started last Friday, has burned more than 163,000 acres east of Fresno and is 0% contained. Fires in Oregon and Washington are also contributing to the unusual conditions.
Smoke from wildfires envelops San Francisco
The Transamerica Building in San Francisco darkened by orange-colored smoke high in the atmosphere, several hours after sunrise on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Photo By Victor Wu
The smoke in the upper atmosphere blots out the sun
Smoke in the upper atmosphere turns the sky near the Coit Tower in San Francisco an eerie orange on Wednesday morning, Sept. 9.
Photo: Victor Wu
The sky in Oakland
The sky in Oakland was dark orange from high-atmosphere wildfire smoke on Wednesday morning, Sept. 9.
Kif Leswing | CNBC
Flames from the Bear Fire
A law enforcement officer watches flames launch into the air as fire continues to spread at the Bear fire in Oroville, California on September 9, 2020.
Josh Edelson | AFP | Getty Images
Lake Oroville during the Bear fire
A boat motors by as the Bidwell Bar Bridge is surrounded by fire in Lake Oroville during the Bear fire in Oroville, California on September 9, 2020.
Josh Edelson | AFP | Getty Images
Firefighters monitor the Bear Fire
Butte County firefighters watch as flames quickly spread across a road at the Bear fire in Oroville, California on September 9, 2020.
Josh Edelson | AFP | Getty Images
A vehicle streaks by the Creek Fire
A vehicle streaks by in a long exposure as Fresno County Sheriff Deputy Jeffery Shipman stands along CA-168 as the Creek Fire creeps closer to town on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020 in Shaver Lake, CA.
Kent Nishimura | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Laguna Hotshots battle the Creek Fire
The Laguna Hotshots Crew out of the Cleveland National Forest battle the Creek Fire as it approaches the Souther California Edison Big Creek Hydroelectric Plant on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020 in Big Creek, CA.
Kent Nishimura | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Residents await evacuation
Kelsey Mueller, 16, pets Ruby while waiting with her family to be escorted from the evacuation zone at the Shaver Lake Marina parking lot off of CA-168 during the Creek Fire on Monday, Sept. 7, 2020 in Shaver Lake, CA.
Kent Nishimura | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Scorched vehicles from the Creek Fire
Burned vehicles smolder at a residence during the Creek fire in an unincorporated area of Fresno County, California on September 08, 2020.
Josh Edelson | AFP | Getty Images
Exhausted firefighters taking a break from battling the Creek Fire
Firefighters (L to R) Rob Spitzer, Max Kitty, Josiah Gist, and Hunter Grossmann with Cal Fire Madera Mariposa Merced Unit – Rancheria takes a break along Waterfall Way in the Cascadel Woods community where he and his colleagues have been fighting the Creek Fire since Saturday , photographed on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020 in Madera County, CA.
Kent Nishimura | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Smoke over Yosemite National Park on Saturday
Smoke from the Creek Fire settles over Half Dome and Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park, California, U.S., on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020.
Naureen Malik | Bloomberg | Getty Images
