February 10, 2016 - Fires in central Mexico (morning overpass)

Fires in central Mexico (morning overpass)

Wildfires were lighting up a section of the municipality of Bachíniva, Mexico in early February 2016. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra satellite captured this true-color image on 2016. Actively burning areas, detected by MODIS’s thermal bands, are outlined in red. Strong winds are blowing gray smoke plumes almost due east from the blazes.

Bachíniva is predominantly a rural and agricultural region, and home to many apple orchards – so many that it is known locally as “the Apple Paradise”. Located in the state of Chihuahua, Bachíniva, along with at least 22 of Mexico’s states, continues to suffer from a long drought, which makes the land tinder-dry and fire risk high.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 2/2/2016
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m (132.8 KB), 250m (303.7 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC