June 1, 2023 - Wildfire in Scottish Highlands

Wildfire
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On May 26, 2023, warm temperatures and dry air prompted the Scottish
Fire and Rescue Service to warn of a "very high" risk of wildfire in
many parts of the country, including the Scottish Highlands. The
warning pointed to the danger of a build-up of dead grass and heather
left over from the previous year which, as temperatures rise, can dry
very quickly to create a fire hazard.

Only two days later, on May 28, a blaze ignited at Cannich near
Inverness that rapidly expanded in the dry vegetation. By May 31, this
wildfire had scorched at least 6,475 hectares (25 square miles)
according to statistics given by the Scottish Fire and Rescue
Service—likely placing it as the largest wildfire on record in
Scotland. The current largest blaze on record in Scotland took place in
May 2019 in between Melvich and Strathy, Sutherland and covered 5,430
hectares.

Two firefighters were injured as their all-terrain vehicle overturned
as they were responding to the wildfire in the Highlands, and are in
stable condition. Firefighting continues at Cannich, including four
appliances and specialist resources which remain on the scene as of May
31.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board
NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the Cannich fire
smoldering in the Scottish Highlands on May 30. Two red "hot spots"
mark areas of actively burning fire, each contributing to a heavy gray
plume of smoke that stretches northeastward approximately 12 miles
(19.3 km). The eastern edge of the smoke hangs over the long Loch Ness.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/30/2023
Resolutions: 1km (44.3 KB), 500m (150.7 KB), 250m (455.2
KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-06-01

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