Several large fires were burning in the Southwest United States on July 7, 2004. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite shows the (top to bottom) Jacket, Willow, and Nuttall Complex Fires in Arizona (left part of scene) and the Rincon and Granny Fires in New Mexico (right). Each of these fires was ignited by lightning. The largest is the Willow Fire—90,500 acres as of July 7. The Nuttall Complex poses the greatest likelihood of significant property damage, as the Gibson Fire threatens the Mt. Graham International Observatory, whose powerful telescopes draw astronomers from all over the world.
Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center
