August 13, 2009 - Fires in British Columbia, Canada

Fires in British Columbia Canada

Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in British Columbia in the first week of August 2009 because of hundreds of forest fires. According to news reports, officials were prepared to bring in firefighters from surrounding provinces, the United States, and even Australia, to control the blazes if needed.

This image of the area was captured by the MODIS on the Aqua satellite on August 6, 2009. Places where the sensor detected fires are marked in red. Smoke traces out the area’s deep valleys.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 08/06/2009
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC