Fires in Spain

Fires inSpain

5 August 2005

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Latest satellite scenes showing fires and fire affected areas in Central Spain:

On  04 August 2005, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured a view of the forest fires (marked in red) that were burning at several locations in drought struck Spain.

 

Terra
04 August 2005
11:10 hrs UTC
(Image courtesy MODIS)

True colour: Bands 1-4-3

False Colour: Bands 7-2-1

The links provide a 1 kmresolution for both scenes

The left  image  is a photo-like image in naturalcolours, while the right image has been enhanced by including MODIS’observations of infrared light. In the false colour scene, vegetation is brightgreen, clouds are light blue, and the burned area is magenta. Bright pinkindicates areas that were actively flaming at the time.

For more detailed information see:

• Satellite Evaluation of the forest fires in Guadalajara, Spain, July 2005 (by Laboratorio de Teledetección –CIFOR –INIA –Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia) (PDF, 3.5 MB)

See also following articles:

 

• Spanish forest fire aftermath surveyed by Envisat (published by ESA News Protecting the Environment, 4 August 2005)

• La norma del Consell no evitaría incendios forestales como el de Guadalajara (published by Levante – El Mercantil Valenciano, 4 August 2005)

• Incendios Forestales más potestades a las CC. AA. (published by Hoy Digital, 4 August 2005)

• Mañana se reúne Comité Permanente Prevención Incendios Forestales (published by Actualidad Terra, 4 August 2005)

• La sequía duplica el número de siniestros forestales en Andalucía (published by Actualidad Terra, 4 August 2005)

• Declarado un incendio forestal en la zona de Morna, en Ibiza (published by Europa Press, 4 August 2005)

 

See also:

• Heatwave in Northern Africa and Southern Europe (source: Earth Observatory)

 

 

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI):

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)on NASA’s Terra satellitealso enhanced the previous image from 04 August 2005 by including theNormalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) which is strongly correlated tosurface temperatures and surface moisture status.

Click on scene for a 2km resolution

 

ECPC Fire Weather Forecast: 

The GFMC displays selected and daily updated  Experimental ClimatePrediction Center (ECPC)  Fire Weather Forecasts for Europe. Theseexamples allow a quicklook and provide daily and weekly total forecasts. Forbackground information refer to the ECPCproducts description page.

FWI forecast for the next week

 

Precipitation amount forecast for the next week

 

Surface temperatures forecast for the next week
Relative humidity forecast for the next week

(Source: ECPCFire Weather Index Forecast)

Theforecast indicates no extreme fire danger for Central Spain and the Pre-Pyrenees. Thecurrent fire danger, however, is due to unusually high day temperatures, lowprecipitation and low relative humidity

 

Satellite-derived vegetation health map:

The general stress situation is higher this year as comparedto 2004.
(Source: NOAA/NESDISCurrent Vegetation Health Image Maps)

 

For moredetails on fires in Spain:

• GFMC archive of the 2004 fire season

• Recent news from the Media
• Statistical database for Spain

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