August 19, 2009 - La Brea Fire, Southern California

La Brea Fire Southern California

On August 13, 2009, the La Brea Fire in southern California grew by roughly 10,000 acres (40 square kilometers). This image was captured by the MODIS on the Aqua satellite on the same day. The fire burns north of Santa Barbara, which is partially obscured by smoke and clouds. Red outlines indicate where MODIS has detected unusually warm surface temperatures associated with active fires.

The fire also spread to the southwest into the Bear Canyon area. As a result, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders affecting residents of Tepusquet, Colson, and Ruiz Canyons, according to the August 13 evening update from InciWeb.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 08/13/2009
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC