Fires in Central and East Africa

Fires in Central and East Africa
21 May 2004


Fires burning in Democratic Republic of Congo on 19 May 2004:

(Image based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC)

As seen in the above image, hundreds, probably thousands of fires were burning across central Africa west of Lake Tanganyika (in the right part of the image) on 19 May 2004, filling the skies over Democratic Republic of Congo, which covers most of the area west of Lake Tanganyika, with a shroud of smoke. This image of the region was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite.

The widespread nature of the fires and the time of year suggest that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources.

Source: Earth Observatory

Fires burning in Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo on 20 May 2004:

Aqua Satellite
12:40 UTC

(Image courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Project at NASA/GSFC)

For background information on theFire Situation in Africa see:

RegionalWildland Fire Networks (AfriFireNet) and

IFFN Country Reports on CentralAfrican countries


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