September 27, 2014 - King Fire, California (afternoon overpass)

King Fire, California (afternoon overpass)

Over 96,004 acres have been burned by the King Fire since it began on September 13, 2014. As of 12:54 pm on September 26, according to Inciweb, the fire was 68% contained, it is burning in heavy timber in steep terrain. The cause of the fire is listed as arson. Just a few days before, on September 23, the fire was only 38% contained. The increased containment is evidence that the 7,700 personnel battling the fire are having positive effect.

A Pacific system came through the fire area on September 25, bringing 0.6-0.9 inches of rain. The observed fire activity was minimal with smoldering in interior pockets of the heavier fuels. A low pressure system became the dominate feature on September 26 and is predicted to continue through Sunday, September 28. As the low travels south of the fire today into Sunday, the result will be cool and unsettled weather, with isolated or scattered rain showers and the possibility of thundershowers. Southwest ridgetop winds will become westerly with gusts to 15 mph, while lower slopes and valleys are predicted to experience winds of 6-12 mph. This could possibly cause the fire to spread, but it remains to be seen if the wet weather will help dampen the fire.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image on September 24. Actively burning areas, detected by MODIS’s thermal bands, are outlined in red and accompanied by smoke.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 9/24/2014
Resolutions: 1km ( B),
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC