November 13, 2012 - Fires in Western Australia

Fires in Western Australia

Bushfires continued to burn throughout Western Australia in early November 2012. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image on November 7, 2012.

Many fires were burning near Port Hedland and Broome in Western Australia and along the coastline between these two cities. Broome can be seen as a gray smudge just north of the center of the image, on the coast, and Port Hedland is found near the lower left edge of the image.

On November 8, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services upgraded the bushfire alert for Port Headland and coastal areas in the Shires of Ashburton, Roebourne and East Pilbara. Strong winds and high temperatures were predicted, raising the threat of grass and bushfires. Temperatures were expected to hit 40°C (104°F) in parts of the region.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 11/7/2012
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC