May 24, 2008 - Fires in Mexico and Northern Central America

Fires  in Mexico and Northern Central America

Fires were widespread across southern Mexico and northern Central America in early May 2008. May is the end of the area’s dry season, and intentional agricultural fires as well as accidental wildfires are common. In April and early May, fires were mostly restricted to Mexico and Guatemala. In mid-May, widespread burning extended southward into Honduras as well.

This image of the area was captured by the MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite on May 15, 2008. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red. Although such fires are not necessarily immediately hazardous, they can have a large impact on air quality and human health, climate, and natural resources.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 05/15/2008
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory