Images
September 15, 2010 - Reservoir Road Fire near Loveland, Colorado
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The large bright red hotspot near the center of this image marks the location of the Reservoir River Fire which rages near the Roosevelt National Forest, four miles west of Loveland, Colorado. The fire had only been burning for approximately 3 ½ hours when the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite captured this true-color image.
According to local news reports and National Incident Information Center, the fire began at 10:00 a.m. MDT September 12, 2010 when a resident lost control of a fire used to burn grass, leaves and small branches at a private home. This image was captured at 1:20 p.m. MDT on the same day. Thermal sensors on MODIS detect thermal anomalies – areas where the temperature is higher than the background, and these areas appear in red in true-color images. For a fire only a few hours old, the thermal anomaly is very large, indicating rapid spread.
The black lines in the image indicate state boundaries. Due north of the fire is Wyoming and Nebraska lies to the northeast. The dark green to the west of the fire indicates forest, and further west the tan coloration indicates mountain tops which rise higher than timberline. The tan areas to the east of the fire indicate dry vegetation in agricultural areas or prairie grasslands. Smoke and clouds cover the town of Loveland, due east of the hotspot. The city of Denver lies to the southeast and is best seen at the higher resolutions.
Driven by wind and favorable terrain, the Reservoir River Fire grew quickly. By September 13 it covered 925 acres but was reduced to about 720 acres by the end of the next day, due to the efforts of firefighters. The fire burns in woodlands consisting of grasses, juniper and pines, and in areas of steep and rugged terrain. Because of this, despite the deployment of 22 fire engines, 8 water tenders and 4 large helicopters, the remains difficult to fight.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 9/12/2010
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
The large bright red hotspot near the center of this image marks the location of the Reservoir River Fire which rages near the Roosevelt National Forest, four miles west of Loveland, Colorado. The fire had only been burning for approximately 3 ½ hours when the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite captured this true-color image.
According to local news reports and National Incident Information Center, the fire began at 10:00 a.m. MDT September 12, 2010 when a resident lost control of a fire used to burn grass, leaves and small branches at a private home. This image was captured at 1:20 p.m. MDT on the same day. Thermal sensors on MODIS detect thermal anomalies – areas where the temperature is higher than the background, and these areas appear in red in true-color images. For a fire only a few hours old, the thermal anomaly is very large, indicating rapid spread.
The black lines in the image indicate state boundaries. Due north of the fire is Wyoming and Nebraska lies to the northeast. The dark green to the west of the fire indicates forest, and further west the tan coloration indicates mountain tops which rise higher than timberline. The tan areas to the east of the fire indicate dry vegetation in agricultural areas or prairie grasslands. Smoke and clouds cover the town of Loveland, due east of the hotspot. The city of Denver lies to the southeast and is best seen at the higher resolutions.
Driven by wind and favorable terrain, the Reservoir River Fire grew quickly. By September 13 it covered 925 acres but was reduced to about 720 acres by the end of the next day, due to the efforts of firefighters. The fire burns in woodlands consisting of grasses, juniper and pines, and in areas of steep and rugged terrain. Because of this, despite the deployment of 22 fire engines, 8 water tenders and 4 large helicopters, the remains difficult to fight.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 9/12/2010
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
