This image of the McNalley Fire in southern California was acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on the Terra satellite on August 11, 2002. The visualization uses ASTER’s 30-meter-resolution, short-wave infrared bands to minimize smoke contamination and enhance the burn scar, which appears purple amid green vegetation. Note the actively burning front on the northern perimeter of the fire, which appears very light purple around the margins. The McNalley Fire started on July 21 and has burned over 133,000 acres. As of August 15, 2002, the fire was 75 percent contained.
This image was acquired on an expedited basis as part of NASA Wildfire Response Team activities. Image courtesy Mike Abrams, Simon Hook, and the ASTER team at EROS Data Center DAAC.
