Wildfires in Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico
Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
These Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images from June 16 and 18, 2002, show the ongoing fires (red dots) in the western United States. Smoke plumes are diminished from previous images, showing the effects of good weather and firefighters' efforts. On June 16, fires (red dots) are burning in Utah (left), Colorado (right), and New Mexico (bottom right). The Missionary Ridge Fire in southwestern Colorado is producing a large smoke plume. To the northeast, the Hayman fire shows active burning on both its northern and southern flanks. The image from June 18 features Colorado, and the Hayman and Missionary Ridge burn scars are clearly visible.In the false color images, vegetation is pale green, burn scars are reddish-brown, and water is dark blue. Images from June 18 made from Direct Broadcast data courtesy USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Center.
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