Bush fires surrounding Sydney continue to burn feverishly, and vastsmoke plumes ascend from the southeastern coastline of Australia andextend out over the Tasman Sea. This true-color image from NASA’sModerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) was made fromdata collected on January 2, 2002. More than a dozen active fires are burning in the region, as indicated by the thick plumes of greyish smoke streaming southeastward.
The southern end of Sydney’s urban area is bounded by the thirdcluster of fires up from the bottom of the image, and the fires encirclethe city, which stands out in tan against the surrounding greenvegetation. Sydney is surrounded by several National Parks, many ofwhich have been damaged by the fires.
Reports indicate that the fires, which have been aided by daytimetemperatures hovering around 100°F and winds blowing at nearly 40 milesper hour, have burned approximately 1.24 million acres of bush land asof January 2. Firefighters have shifted their efforts from attempting to extinguish the fires to preventing them from reaching thewestern edges of Sydney. Many of the fires are believed to have beenset by arsonists, and police have arrested 21 people in connection withthe devastating blazes.
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Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
