Images
September 1, 2025 - Fires Near Lake Malawi
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Smoke from many dozens—if not hundreds—of fires filled the air around Lake Malawi in late August 2025. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of fires burning in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia on August 29.
Although the actively burning fires themselves are not visible in this image, each narrow plume appears to rise from a single source (one fire). Strong winds sweep the smoke westward over Malawi, the country due westd of Lake Malawi. By the time the smoke reaches Zambia (northwest of Malawi), the gray haze was so thick that it obscured the ground from view.
Although it’s not possible to know the cause of a fire from satellite imagery, the location, time of year, and large numbers of fires strongly suggest that these are agricultural fires. Traditional agriculture has used small, controlled blazes to manage farm and pastureland for tens of thousands of years. The fires are useful to clear spent crops, renew pasture, and prepare soil for planting.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 8/29/2025
Resolutions:
1km (323.3 KB), 500m (779.8 KB), 250m (1.7 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Smoke from many dozens—if not hundreds—of fires filled the air around Lake Malawi in late August 2025. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of fires burning in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia on August 29.
Although the actively burning fires themselves are not visible in this image, each narrow plume appears to rise from a single source (one fire). Strong winds sweep the smoke westward over Malawi, the country due westd of Lake Malawi. By the time the smoke reaches Zambia (northwest of Malawi), the gray haze was so thick that it obscured the ground from view.
Although it’s not possible to know the cause of a fire from satellite imagery, the location, time of year, and large numbers of fires strongly suggest that these are agricultural fires. Traditional agriculture has used small, controlled blazes to manage farm and pastureland for tens of thousands of years. The fires are useful to clear spent crops, renew pasture, and prepare soil for planting.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 8/29/2025
Resolutions:
1km (323.3 KB), 500m (779.8 KB), 250m (1.7 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
