Angora Fire

Angora Fire

South of Lake Tahoe, the Angora Fire burned more than 3,000 acres in late June 2007. The fire, which started from an illegal campfire, destroyed more than 250 homes in the region, and left a huge charcoal-colored burn scar across the landscape. This image of the aftermath of the fire was captured by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite on June 29. The streets and communities south of the lake are light gray and white. The burn scar is centered in the scene, and it is clear how the fire engulfed residential areas along its eastern margin (for example, near bottom center).

NASA image by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team.