Both prescribed fires set by the Department of Parks and Wildfire (DPAW) in Western Australia and wildfires are seen in this MODIS image. The DPAW site lists quite a few fires set in the Mitchell Plateau in Western Australia. These fires are being set for biodiversity purposes according to the DPAW website. It is often thought that all fires are bad for the environment, but as it turns out, the right fire at the right place at the right time can:
- Reduces hazardous fuels, protecting human communities from extreme fires;
- Minimizes the spread of pest insects and disease;
- Removes unwanted species that threaten species native to an ecosystem;
- Provides forage for game;
- Improves habitat for threatened and endangered species;
- Recycles nutrients back to the soil; and
- Promotes the growth of trees, wildflowers, and other plants;
Forest services around the world manage prescribed fires (also called planned burns) to benefit natural resources and reduce the risk of unwanted wildfires in the future.
The image taken by the Aqua satellite on May 09, 2015 does show some prescribed fires, but those fires seen toward the bottom of the image do not correspond to any prescribed fires on the DPAW’s website and so may actually be bushfires.
NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption: NASA/Goddard, Lynn Jenner