Widespread Burning across South Central Africa

June 3 12:00:00, 2002

Many fires (red pixels) dot the landscape across Southern Central Africa, including parts of Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There is a faint greyish haze covering much of the region, particularly toward the north (top) of this scene. The fires are mostly the result of slash and burn agriculture, which is a common practice in this region during this time of year.

Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of the scene at the sensor’s fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapid Response Image Gallery.

Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC