image: According to the maps available at the Northern Australia Fire Information center, the majority of fires seen in this MODIS image are only 24-48 hours old. A number of them are from 2-7 days old. Conditions are ripe in the Northern Territory for the outbreak of bushfires. Warmer than average temperatures, combined with winds, dry grasses, and lightning will provide all the ingredients for bushfires to start and take hold.
This natural-color satellite image was collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite on May 8, 2014. Actively burning areas, detected by MODIS's thermal bands, are outlined in red.
Credit: NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption: NASA/Goddard, Lynn Jenner