Fire Scar Type
Photographic InterpretationGuide
Fire Scar Type
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On May 4, 2000, a prescribed fire was set at Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico, to clear brush and dead and dying undergrowth to prevent a larger, subsequent wildfire. Unfortunately, due to high winds and extremely dry conditions in the surrounding area, the prescribed fire quickly raged out of control and, by May 10, the blaze had spread into the nearby town of Los Alamos. In all, more than 20,000 people were evacuated from their homes and more than 200 houses were destroyed as the flames consumed about 48,000 acres in and around the Los Alamos area.
The pair of images were acquired by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor, flying aboard NASA’s Landsat 7 satellite, shortly before the Los Alamos fire (top image, acquired 14 April 2000) and shortly after the fire was extinguished (lower image, 17 June 2000). The images reveal the extent of the damage caused by the fire.
Landsat 7 data courtesy United States Geological Survey EROS DataCenter.
Images by Robert Simmon, NASA GSFC.







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