Historical Lick Observatory Surrounded by Wild Fire

By Elijah Mt. Castle and Mitch Burcham

The Lick Observatory operated by the University of California is slowly being encroached upon by a surrounding wildfire in the Mt. Hamilton area of California. The images below gathered by the team at Earth Observation Group of the Payne Institute for Public Policy show the extensive burn area around the observatory as well as images form a local news sources of the flames rising around the buildings. As of right now there has been no reported damage to buildings on the property but as the fire continues to rage the risk increases. Firefighters have been working around the clock to protect the 132-year-old observatory that is so valuable for university research and public education. Earth Observation Group will continue to monitor fires around the world.

8/24/2020