Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Numerous forest fires were burning in the Yukon Flats region of east-central Alaska in mid-June 2004. The fires are burning in the wake of an incredibly active week of lightning, with a record-breaking, single-day total of 8,500 strikes on June 14, followed by another 6,200 strikes the next day (according to local news reports). This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite shows some of the largest fires ten days later on June 24. Areas where MODIS detected fires are outlined in red. Thick smoke is pouring off the fires, already covering much of eastern Alaska.
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