1 min read
Dozens of fires were burning across southern New Guinea, north of Australia, on September 18, 2003. This image of the fires was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite, and shows active fire detections marked with yellow.
Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet.
Scientists say the seasonal crop fires are burning later in the day than in previous years.
Satellite-based maps show northern wildland fires becoming more frequent and widespread as temperatures rise and lightning reaches higher latitudes.
Dry, warm, and windy conditions across the U.S. Great Plains led to extreme fire activity in March 2026.
