Bushfires continued in the mountains east of Melbourne, Australia, on February 13, 2009. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite shows the fires (actively burning areas outlined in red) and thick smoke spreading to the west. The areas still burning included several state and national parks, including Bunyip State Park, which was closed to the public as of February 13 while firefighters worked to control a 27,200-hectare (67, 212-acre) fire there.
The large image provided above is at MODIS’ maximum spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily images of the area in additional resolutions and formats, including an infrared-enhanced version that highlights burned areas.
References & Resources
- Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment. (2009, February 13). Fires Today. Accessed February 13, 2009.
NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.
