In the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, a large fire has sprung up in the Sequoia National Forest about 12 miles north of the town of Kernville. According to reports from the U.S.D.A Forest Service, the McNalley fire started on the afternoon of July 21, 2002, and by Monday, July 22, had spread to more than 9,000 acres. The fire, which spread rapidly in response to erratic winds, is threatening 100 residences. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from July 22, 2002, shows the fire (red outline) creating a large smoke plume that is streaming northward from the blaze.
Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
