Fires Scorch Oregon

Fires Scorch Oregon

Fires in southwestern and south central Oregon continue to create major problems for residents and firefighters. Thousands of people are under evacuation notices and must be prepared to leave their homes in under an hour should fires come too close. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from August 2, 2002, shows the widespread pall of smoke and haze associated with the various fronts of the Florence Fire (north) and Sour Biscuit Fire (south), which are burning within miles of each other. If the two should combine they would total more than 200,000 acres.

Image courtesy Liam Gumley, Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison