January 29, 2020 - Wildfires in Chile

Fires were burning in central Chile in late January 2020, with heavy smoke pouring over the Pacific Ocean. According to news sources, forest fires had consumed about 4,000 hectares in the Biobío and Araucanía regions by January 27. The blazes had encroached on the last remnant of deciduous forest in Biobío’s Concepcion province, the Nonguen National Reserve. Such forests had previously covered the mountain ranges near the coast but have given way to agricultural crops and forest plantations. The Reserve provides a home for several endangered or protective species, such as the colocolo opossum and Pudú (deer).

On January 25, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of several fires in central Chile. Heavy smoke pours from the blazes in the Biobío region and pours to the northwest. This location lies west of the city of Los Angeles, Chile.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/25/2020
Resolutions: 1km (359.5 KB), 500m (905.8 KB), 250m (683.6 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC