30 August 2009

Fire near JPL

Posted by Ryan Anderson

Apologies for the silence on the blog lately. I’ve been trying to get caught up with work since I got back from the north woods of Michigan last sunday. However, I thought I should take a minute and mention the forest fires in LA that are threatening JPL . People on the MER team have been sending occasional updates and photos over the last few days as the fires inch closer to the Lab.

Best wishes for those in the LA area affected by this fire. Stay safe! No homes are reported lost yet, and let’s hope no telescopes or NASA labs will be lost either!

Emily Lakdawalla also has a post full of info about the fires over at the Planetary Society blog.

LA fires seen from the roof of a JPL building.

LA fires seen from the roof of a JPL building. (Photo by Mike Seibert)

Fires with JPL in the foreground. (Photo by Joy Crisp)

Fires with JPL in the foreground. (Photo by Joy Crisp)

A jet dumps fire-retardent on the fires with JPL in the foreground. (Photo by Justin Maki)

A jet dumps fire-retardant on the fires with JPL in the foreground. (Photo by Justin Maki)

Close-up of the tanker jet. (Photo by Justin Maki)

Close-up of the tanker jet. (Photo by Justin Maki)