Satellites watch record-breaking wildfires burn across Alaska

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Samantha Mathewson joined Space.com as an intern in the summer of 2016. She received a B.A. in Journalism and Environmental Science at the University of New Haven, in Connecticut. Previously, her work has been published in Nature World News. When not writing or reading about science, Samantha enjoys traveling to new places and taking photos! You can follow her on Twitter @Sam_Ashley13.

As of Thursday , 157 active fires were burning across Alaska. In just one month, wildfires in the state have burned more than 1.6 million acres — a threshold that Alaska has not reached this early in the fire season in decades.

The blazes include the East Fork Fire in the western part of the state near the Yukon Delta is one of the largest tundra fires on record and has burned more than 250,000 acres since May 31. Meanwhile, the Lime Complex Fire in the southwestern region of the state is even larger, spreading across more than 600,000 acres.

The smoke and debris from the fires have compromised air quality, leading the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to issue warnings for numerous regions in the state, according to the statement. NOAA satellites offer crucial insight on the wildfires and how they spread. In particular, scientists use data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite instrument on the Joint Polar Satellite System's"The high spatial resolution from VIIRS allows the instrument to detect smaller and lower-temperature fires," NOAA officials wrote.

 

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“Lightning strikes from thunderstorms are sparking these early-season wildfires, which are then feeding on dry vegetation from a mild winter, according to a statement from NOAA.”

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