Forest Fires in Central America

3 May 2000


The GOES and NOAA/AVHRR satellite images of 27 April to 1 May 2000 reflect the overall fire situation in Central America as it was highlighted in the GFMC reports during the last days (starting with the Honduras fire report on 31 March 2000). Heat signatures can be seen from fires burning in several countries of Central America. Some fires may be obsured by the cloud cover.

 

click to enlarge (745 KB)

Fig.1. NESDIS/OSEI NOAA-14 AVHRR satellite image, 27 April 2000.
Heat signatures (red) and smoke (light blue) are visible from numerous large fires burning in Honduras, and Nicaragua. Large quantities of smoke are visible over the Pacific Ocean. Additional fires may be burning under the cloud cover.
(Source: NOAA/OSEI).

click to enlarge (513 KB)

Fig.2. NESDIS/OSEI NOAA-14 AVHRR satellite image, 27 April 2000.
Heat signatures (red) and large amounts of smoke (light blue) are visible from numerous large fires burning in the Yucatan.
(Source: NOAA/OSEI).

click to enlarge (492 KB)

Fig.3. NESDIS/OSEI GOES-8 satellite image of Central America, 28 April 2000.
Heavy dense smoke ( light tan) from the fires burning in Central America has formed a large cloud over the adjacent Pacific Ocean coastal areas. Smoke from the fires burning in Guatemala is streaming northwestward into the Gulf of Mexico as far north as the Texas border.
(Source: NOAA/OSEI).

click to enlarge (310 KB)

Fig.4. NESDIS/OSEI GOES-8 satellite image of Central America, 28 April 2000.
The larger heat signatures from the many fires burning in Central America are depicted as bright white spots in this inverse of GOES-8 channel 2 image.
(Source: NOAA/OSEI).

click to enlarge (465 KB)

Fig.5. NESDIS/OSEI NOAA-14 AVHRR satellite image, 27 April 2000.
Heat signatures (red) and smoke (light blue) are visible from fires burning in Mexico.
(Source: NOAA/OSEI).

click to enlarge (558 KB)

Fig.6. NESDIS/OSEI GOES-8 satellite image of Central America, 1 May 2000.
Heavy dense smoke ( light tan) from the fires burning in Central America has formed a large cloud over the adjacent Pacific Ocean coastal areas. Smoke from the fires burning in Guatemala is also streaming northward into the Gulf of Mexico as far north as the Texas border.
(Source: NOAA/OSEI).

click to enlarge (290 KB)

Fig.7. NESDIS/OSEI GOES-8 satellite image of Central America, 1 May 2000.
The larger heat signatures from the many fires burning in Central America are depicted as bright white spots in this inverse of GOES-8 channel 2 image.
(Source: NOAA/OSEI).

click to enlarge (540 KB)

Fig.8. NESDIS/OSEI NOAA-14 AVHRR satellite image of Central America, 1 May 2000.
Numerous heat signatures (red) are visible from the fires burning in the Central American countries.
(Source: NOAA/OSEI).

click to enlarge (606 KB)

Fig.9. NESDIS/OSEI NOAA-14 AVHRR satellite image, 1 May 2000.
Heat signatures (red) and smoke (light blue) are visible in Guatemala and the Yucatan from the many large fires.
(Source: NOAA/OSEI).

click to enlarge (486 KB)

Fig.10. NESDIS/OSEI NOAA-14 AVHRR satellite image, 1 May 2000.
Heat signatures (red) are visible from fires burning in Mexico. The larger red areas in the center of the image may include the effects of solar radiation. Smoke from the many fires in Central America has formed a layer over the nearby areas of the Pacific Ocean and along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
(Source: NOAA/OSEI).


Top
Back