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   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   February 13, 2023 - Burn Scars in Chile   
      
      Burn Scars in Chile   
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      Stoked by a summer heat wave and strong winds, widespread fires have   
      been raging through south-central Chile since February 2, 2023. On   
      February 10, ReliefWeb reported that the forest fires have caused   
      extensive damages, including 24 deaths and 5,557 people injured. The   
      report also stated that 1,205 houses had been destroyed and 5,599   
      houses were damaged as of that date.   
      
      On February 11, ABC News said that Chile’s Interior Ministry confirmed   
      that more than 889,000 acres (359,766 hectares) had been burnt so far.   
      The fires are burning mainly in Maule, Ñuble, Biobío, and La   
      Araucanía). The worst fire on record (which goes back to 1985) was in   
      2017, when 570,000 hectares (1,408,500 acres) burned. On February 9,   
      the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board   
      NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a false-color image of massive fire   
      scars in central Chile, south of the Biobío River. This is compared   
      with a Terra MODIS image acquired of the same area on February 2, only   
      a week prior and on the day the wildfire was barely beginning.   
      
      This type of false-color image combines infrared and visible light   
      (MODIS bands 7,2,1) to separate vegetation (bright green) from water   
      (deep blue or black) and fire scars. Fresh fire scars typically appear   
      brick red, dark brown, or even charcoal depending on the extent of the   
      burn and the color of the exposed soil. Over time, vegetation begins to   
      regrow and the fire scars lighten. The difference in just a week is   
      stunning. On February 2, only a few very light burn scars from previous   
      years were visible. By February 7, numerous fresh burn scars stretched   
      over an extensive area. Smoke (light blue) rises from the largest fire   
      just south of the Biobío River, indicating it is still actively   
      burning.   
      
      Air temperatures in Chile’s hard hit regions have exceeded 104 degrees   
      Fahrenheit (40° Celsius), helping create tinder-dry vegetation and   
      hindering firefighting efforts. Meanwhile, warm easterly winds blown   
      from Argentina down the slopes of the Andes, also known as “Puelche   
      winds,” contributed to the rapid spread of the fires. Chile is in the   
      midst of a drought, which has lowered reservoirs and caused tensions   
      over water. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the   
      13-year megadrought in central Chile is the longest in at least 1,000   
      years.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Terra   
      Date Acquired: 2/9/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (137.7 KB),  500m (335.8 KB),  250m (201.6   
      KB)   
      Bands Used: 7,2,1   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-02-13   
       
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