Scores of fires continued to burn across Southeast Asia on March 4, 2004. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite shows the fires marked in orange. In the eastern (right) half of the image, which is dominated by Thailand, gray-blue smoke hangs over the scene. The widespread nature of the fires suggests that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources.
Image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC
