Of the several bushfires in southwestern Australia that were captured in this Suomi NPP satellite image taken only one is a potential threat to lives and homes. A Department of Fire and Emergency Services of Western Australia bushfire “watch and act” remains for people in the Stockyard Creek and Mullet Lakes areas in Merivale in the Shire of Esperance. Conditions are changing and the bushfire is not under control at this time. There are eight firefighters patrolling the containment lines overnight. The fire was reported at 3pm on November 15 and the cause of the fire is lightning. Approximately 17,103 hectares have been burnt to date and the DFES is currently managing the fire. The other bushfires do not pose a threat.
NASA’s Suomi NPP satellite collected this natural-color image using the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) instrument on November 20, 2015. Actively burning areas, detected by MODIS’s thermal bands, are outlined in red. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team, GSFC. Caption by Lynn Jenner