As NASA’s Suomi NPP satellite passed over Egypt on October 13, 2016, several dozen small fires were burning in the Nile River Delta. Red outlines show where MODIS detected high surface temperatures associated with active burning especially when coupled with smoke as in this image. Most probably these fires are agricultural in nature. The location, widespread nature, and number of fires suggest that these fires were deliberately set to manage land. Farmers often use fire to return nutrients to the soil and to clear the ground of unwanted plants.
NASA’s Suomi NPP satellite collected this natural-color image using the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) instrument. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team, GSFC. Caption by Lynn Jenner. Suomi NPP is managed by NASA and NOAA.