Fires in Eastern Russia

192 fires burned throughout the Russian Federation on July 28, 2011. Most of the fires burned in the northwest, but the fires in the Far East were far more impressive from space.

This image, taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite, shows fires burning in parts of Khabarovsk, Amur and Sakha (Yahkutiya) on July 28. The large image shows many more fires across a broader region. The fires are marked in red.

The Russian government reported 19 large fires in this region on July 28, and RIA Novosti, a Russian news agency, reported 41 fires on July 29. While the fires are widespread, it is the dense smoke that stands out. The fires are not threatening any settlements, says the Russian government, but the smoke poses its own risks. Smoke carries tiny particles that can irritate the eyes and respiratory system.

Source: NASA Natural Hazards