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Fires in Algeria

Wildfires have been ravaging the north of Algeria since June 2012. They are a result of hotter than average summer heat waves that have been reported to reach as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Farenheit). Three people have been reported killed in the fires, two of which were a firefighter and forest worker attempting to put out a blaze. Over 100 fires were reportedly still in progress as of 8 August.

This natural-color satellite image shows smoke streaming from the fire It was collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite on August 25, 2012. 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.