Images
April 16, 2026 - Marion-Woodbury Road Fire, South Carolina
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On April 14, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image highlighting a smoke plume stretching more than 140 kilometers (87 miles) over South Carolina and North Carolina. The smoke rose from a 1,750-acre wildland fire burning in Marion County, South Carolina and blew to the northeast.
According to the South Carolina Forestry Commission, the wildfire originated from the re-ignition of a prescribed burn that had originally been conducted in early March in the Woodbury Wildlife Management Area. Because the wildfire was burning in boggy areas with limited access, on the night of April 13, firefighters began a “burnout” to remove fuel between the advancing front of the wildfire and local roads. This increased smoke in the area, as did the growth of the wildfire. As of April 15, the Marion-Woodbury Road Fire is reported as 60 percent contained.
In the language of wildland firefighters, a “burnout” is defined as intentionally putting fire inside a control line to take out brush, grass, logs, or other fuel. This creates a buffer of already-burned area outside of the edge of the wildfire. This essentially starves the wildfire, because there is no fuel for it to advance, and makes the job of the firefighters easier.
This image also shows the Atlantic Ocean shining with a silvery gleam. This is an optical phenomenon known as “sunglint”. It occurs when sunlight reflects off the surface of water at the same angle that a satellite sensor views it. The result is a dramatic, mirror-like shine in satellite imagery.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 4/14/2026
Resolutions:
1km (88.3 KB), 500m (240.5 KB), 250m (284.6 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On April 14, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image highlighting a smoke plume stretching more than 140 kilometers (87 miles) over South Carolina and North Carolina. The smoke rose from a 1,750-acre wildland fire burning in Marion County, South Carolina and blew to the northeast.
According to the South Carolina Forestry Commission, the wildfire originated from the re-ignition of a prescribed burn that had originally been conducted in early March in the Woodbury Wildlife Management Area. Because the wildfire was burning in boggy areas with limited access, on the night of April 13, firefighters began a “burnout” to remove fuel between the advancing front of the wildfire and local roads. This increased smoke in the area, as did the growth of the wildfire. As of April 15, the Marion-Woodbury Road Fire is reported as 60 percent contained.
In the language of wildland firefighters, a “burnout” is defined as intentionally putting fire inside a control line to take out brush, grass, logs, or other fuel. This creates a buffer of already-burned area outside of the edge of the wildfire. This essentially starves the wildfire, because there is no fuel for it to advance, and makes the job of the firefighters easier.
This image also shows the Atlantic Ocean shining with a silvery gleam. This is an optical phenomenon known as “sunglint”. It occurs when sunlight reflects off the surface of water at the same angle that a satellite sensor views it. The result is a dramatic, mirror-like shine in satellite imagery.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 4/14/2026
Resolutions:
1km (88.3 KB), 500m (240.5 KB), 250m (284.6 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
