New images of Arizona's Rodeo-Chediski wildfire, which according to news reports is the largest in the state's history, have been acquired by NASA's MODIS Airborne Simulator flying aboard the space agency's ER-2 aircraft. The images show the extent of the burn area--now more than 450,000 acres--and pinpoint areas of active burning as of the morning of July 1.

In this image, the burned area is at the top in shades of yellow and brown. The very bright yellow regions indicate active fires. The image was acquired during a transit of the ER-2 aircraft from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. to Key West Naval Air Facility, Fla. in preparation for an upcoming field experiment.

Image courtesy of MODIS Airborne Simulator ER-2 team, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California.