News Release

NASA observes the Waldo Canyon Fire, Colorado

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA's Aqua Satellite Captured an Image of the Waldo Canyon Fire on June 26, 2012

image: The MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of the fire on June 26, 2012. Thick smoke, partially obscured by clouds, is visible blowing toward the northeast. The red outlines indicate hotspots where MODIS detected unusually warm surface temperatures associated with fires. view more 

Credit: NASA's MODIS Rapid Response Team

NASA satellites continue to provide coverage of the smoke and heat signatures generated from wildfires raging in the western United States. The Waldo Canyon Fire is threatening populated areas, and is located near Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Waldo Canyon Fire was discovered on June 23, 2012, burning in Pike National Forest near Colorado Springs, Colorado. By June 27, it had burned 15,517 acres (6,280 hectares), was 5 percent contained, and had forced at least 32,000 people to evacuate their homes.

Don Savage, retired from NASA and residing in Colorado, captured photographs of the Waldo Canyon Fire. The photos and a short video taken on June 26 and 27, convey the close proximity to the Colorado Springs neighborhoods. "One photo was shot from Garden of the Gods looking north towards Queen's Canyon, where the fire crested the ridge and moved down into Colorado Springs," he said. "When the Waldo Canyon fire crested a ridge it worked its way down to the Mountain Shadows neighborhood," he said. "That's where a few hours later many houses burned on June 26, 2012."

According to Inciweb, the Incident Response website, currently more than 750 people are battling the fire. For updates on the fire and evacuations, visit Inciweb at: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2929/#content.

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