Images
June 4, 2026 - Fires in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo
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Hundreds of fires dotted the landscape across Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo in late May and early June 2026.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the smoke-laden scene on June 2. Red “hot spots” have been overlain on actively burning fires.
Although it’s not possible to discern how a fire started just through satellite imagery, the time of year, location, and widespread nature of the fires strongly suggest that these are agricultural fires. Each year, small farmers in this region set and manage fires in order to prepare fields for planting, clear old vegetation, open new land for use, or renew pasture.
Sometimes called “slash and burn” agriculture, this type of farming is practiced frequently in this many parts of the world, including this area of Africa. While fire is a useful and inexpensive tool that is easily used for various aspects of farming, the abundance of many small fires also produce smoke that can substantially degrade air quality in the region.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 6/2/2026
Resolutions:
1km (291.4 KB), 500m (922.8 KB), 250m (2.7 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Hundreds of fires dotted the landscape across Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo in late May and early June 2026.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the smoke-laden scene on June 2. Red “hot spots” have been overlain on actively burning fires.
Although it’s not possible to discern how a fire started just through satellite imagery, the time of year, location, and widespread nature of the fires strongly suggest that these are agricultural fires. Each year, small farmers in this region set and manage fires in order to prepare fields for planting, clear old vegetation, open new land for use, or renew pasture.
Sometimes called “slash and burn” agriculture, this type of farming is practiced frequently in this many parts of the world, including this area of Africa. While fire is a useful and inexpensive tool that is easily used for various aspects of farming, the abundance of many small fires also produce smoke that can substantially degrade air quality in the region.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 6/2/2026
Resolutions:
1km (291.4 KB), 500m (922.8 KB), 250m (2.7 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
