May 20, 2023 - Wildfires in Western Spain

Wildfires in Western Spain
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A massive wildfire was raging through dry forestland in western Spain
on May 19, 2023, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured a true-color image of the
scene. A large patch of red marks actively burning fire near Spain’s
border with Portugal. Heavy gray smoke rising from the fire is carried
westward and then southward by strong winds blowing across the region.

The fire initially started near Pinofranqueado, a municipality located
in Las Hurdes, province of Cáceres on May 17 and moved westward towards
Sierra de Gata. By May 19, the blaze had spread to an estimated 8,000
hectares (19,800 acres). Gusting winds and dry vegetation make further
spread likely, despite the efforts of 260 firefighters and 165 soldiers
engaged in beating back the blaze. Approximately 550 villagers near the
fire were evacuated on May 18. The cause of this fire is under
investigation as potential arson.

Poor rainfall over the last three years, followed by an unusually dry
winter, have rendered the forests tinder dry. In Spain, fires typically
become severe in June as summer heat arrives, but this year’s fire
season started early with an intense blaze that raged in the eastern
Castellon province from March 23-27. That fire consumed more than 4,300
hectares (10,500 acres) before it was quenched.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 5/19/2023
Resolutions: 1km (136.7 KB), 500m (463.6 KB), 250m (1.4 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-05-20

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