>>809914
Problem with the satellite idea is that the lasers would lose too much energy going through the atmosphere. I do believe there are laser weapons on satellites, but not for targeting things on the ground underneath the part of the atmosphere where water vapor is present in the form of clouds. I think their targets will be above 35,000 feet.
However we do know that there are aircraft fitted with laser energy weapons. This is a far more likely source of the California fires. Also, in the sunny cloudless weather of California, an airplane at 35,000 feet would be nearly invisible unless you were looking for it. If a laser attack aircraft came out of the direction of the sun, it could be even lower and still not visible because of the sun.
If I were in charge of aircraft laser weapons I would train my crews to fly into a position where the sun makes them invisible and then fire from that point only. The folks on the ground, if they look up to see where the beam is coming from, would be blinded by the light of the sun. And if the crews learn how to dive as they fire, they will stay in the sweet spot shielded by the sun for a longer time. I would also train them to fly in lines, one dives and fires, then the next plane reaches the sunshield position, dives and fires.
Paint these planes the color of the sky at high altitude and nobody will see them with the naked eye.