In January 2014, an intense heat wave and strong winds fueled hundreds of bushfires in South Australia. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this image of grass and shrub fires raging in Yumbarra Conservation Park on January 16, 2014. Red outlines indicate hot spots where MODIS detected unusually warm surface temperatures associated with fire. Northerly winds blew large plumes of smoke over the Great Australian Bight. Members of the Aboriginal community of Koonibba were preparing to evacuate as a large fire headed toward the town, according to the Australian Broadcasting Company.
NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Adam Voiland.
