Images
July 8, 2026 - Burn Scars in Utah
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After a winter of below-average snowpack and an unusually warm and dry start to summer, the National Interagency Fire Center warned that the Great Basin and parts of the Rockies faced an elevated risk of wildfires in July 2026.
The warning proved accurate. By July 7, firefighters labored to contain nearly three dozen large, early-season wildland fires that raced through forests in several parts of the western U.S. Utah was among the most active states, with fires having charred 558 square miles (1,445 square kilometers) and four major fires that were not fully contained still burning.
The Cottonwood Fire ranked as one of Utah's—and the country's—largest and most destructive fires of the year so far. As of July 7, it had burned 150 square miles (390 square kilometers), or 96,242 acres. Late on July 7, the Babylon Fire located in eastern Utah, surpassed the Cottonwood Fire’s size, reaching 100,479 acres with only 11 percent containment. Further north, the Cherry Fire had scorched 34,252 acres and the Iron Fire had spread over 41,842 acres before being contained.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this false-color image of fresh burn scars in Utah on July 4. In this type of image, open land is tan, vegetation looks green, water appears dark blue, clouds look white and snow or smoke may take on an electric blue tint. Multiple fresh burn scars—the area left damaged after a fire—are colored brick red.
From the top, moving counter clockwise, the scars were left by the Iron Fire, the Cherry Fire, the Cottonwood Fire, and the Babylon Fire. Several smaller burn scars can be seen scattered in the vegetation, especially northeast of the Cottonwood Fire.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 7/4/2026
Resolutions:
1km (195.4 KB), 500m (520.1 KB), 250m (612.7 KB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
After a winter of below-average snowpack and an unusually warm and dry start to summer, the National Interagency Fire Center warned that the Great Basin and parts of the Rockies faced an elevated risk of wildfires in July 2026.
The warning proved accurate. By July 7, firefighters labored to contain nearly three dozen large, early-season wildland fires that raced through forests in several parts of the western U.S. Utah was among the most active states, with fires having charred 558 square miles (1,445 square kilometers) and four major fires that were not fully contained still burning.
The Cottonwood Fire ranked as one of Utah's—and the country's—largest and most destructive fires of the year so far. As of July 7, it had burned 150 square miles (390 square kilometers), or 96,242 acres. Late on July 7, the Babylon Fire located in eastern Utah, surpassed the Cottonwood Fire’s size, reaching 100,479 acres with only 11 percent containment. Further north, the Cherry Fire had scorched 34,252 acres and the Iron Fire had spread over 41,842 acres before being contained.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this false-color image of fresh burn scars in Utah on July 4. In this type of image, open land is tan, vegetation looks green, water appears dark blue, clouds look white and snow or smoke may take on an electric blue tint. Multiple fresh burn scars—the area left damaged after a fire—are colored brick red.
From the top, moving counter clockwise, the scars were left by the Iron Fire, the Cherry Fire, the Cottonwood Fire, and the Babylon Fire. Several smaller burn scars can be seen scattered in the vegetation, especially northeast of the Cottonwood Fire.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 7/4/2026
Resolutions:
1km (195.4 KB), 500m (520.1 KB), 250m (612.7 KB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
