Fires, smoke, and burn scars across Portugal

Nine people have been killed in forest fires in Portugal, which continue to grow in the dry, hot conditions existing across the country. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite shows dozens of active fires detected by the sensor marked in red. The huge blazes concentrated in central Portugal are billowing a cloud of smoke that blankets most of the northern part of the country. This image was acquired on August 3, 2003. This false-color image shows vegetation in bright green, burned area in reddish brown, clouds in light blue (ice) and white (water), and smoke in grayish blue.

---

Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Published August 3, 2003
Data acquired August 3 - 3, 2003

Source:

Aqua > MODIS

Topic:

Human Dimensions > Natural Hazards > Fires

Collections:

MODIS Rapid Response

Visible Earth