Fires in Mexico and Central America

Credit: Jeff Schmaltz; MODIS team; NASA, Posted on: Friday, 1 June 2007, 06:59 CDT Download full size image

Fires and smoke were widespread across southern Mexico and northern Central America in mid-May 2007. This image from the MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite shows places where the sensor detected actively burning fires on May 22 marked in red. Part of the washed-out appearance of the water in the eastern part of Campeche Bay is from sunglint, or glare from sunlight, but there is also smoke spreading both north and south of the isthmus.

Both intentional agricultural fires and accidental and natural wildfires occur in this part of the world in Northern Hemisphere winter and spring. The rainy season usually begins in late May to early June, bringing fire season to a close.

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