High Park Fire, Colorado

The smoke from Colorado's High Park Fire continues to be visible on NASA satellite imagery. The fire has consumed 59,500 acres or approximately 93 square miles.

The High Park Fire is located approximately 15 miles west of Fort Collins, Colorado. The U.S. Forest Service noted on the Inciweb website on June 19, " Today's predicted weather (dry air and strong west winds) will provide a challenge for firefighters. Structure protection continues to be a priority. In addition to the work in the interior, firefighters coordinated with local fire departments on work around structures well outside the current fire area." The fire is currently 10 percent contained.

On June 18, 2012 at 1940 UTC (3:40 p.m. EDT) the light brown colored smoke and the heat signatures from the fires were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument that flies onboard NASA's Aqua satellite.

Inciweb reports that mandatory re-evacuations were issued on 6/17 for the Soldier Canyon and Mill Canyon areas. Evacuations were also ordered for residents in the Hewlett Gulch subdivision area. The area runs from the Glacier View 9-12 filings east to the Hewlett Gulch Trail, north to CR 74E and south to highway 14. For more information, evacuation updates and firefighting updates, visit the Inciweb website: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2904/.

For the unlabeled high resolution image:
http://lance-modis.eosdis.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/imagery/single.cgi?image=Colorado.A2012170.1940.250m.jpg

Image: Jeff Schmaltz, NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team; Caption: Rob Gutro, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center