The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites captured these images of the Carlton Complex Fire in July 2014. Ignited by lightning on July 14, the blaze had charred nearly 370 square miles (960 square kilometers) of forest in northern Washington by July 21. About 200 homes have been lost to the fire, according to news reports. The upper image shows the fire on July 18; the lower image shows it on July 20. Actively burning areas, detected by the thermal bands on MODIS, are outlined in red.
NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Adam Voiland.
