To the west of Lake Baikal, Russia, smoke from scores of fires is streaming northwestward in this true-color MODIS image from May 15, 2002. According to media reports, a state of emergency was declared on May 17 near the city of Irkutsk, located along the Angara River, less than a hundred miles northwest from where the Angara drains from Lake Baikal (lower right). The raging fires have destroyed numerous homes in the region and have been burning for many weeks. Compared to the May 14 image, the fires appear to have flared up considerably, with over a dozen new fires and smoke.
Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of this scene at the sensor's fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapidfire site.
Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
