NASA recently published satellite images of the Wallow Fire, the second largest fire in the history of US State Arizona. By early afternoon, on 8 June 2011, the fire had destroyed 389,000 acres, largely in the Apache National Forest, and continued uncontrolled.
The above image, acquired by NASA’s Aqua satellite, shows the fire at 1:25 p.m. local time. The actively burning fire front (highlighted in red) surrounds a wide area of charred land. According to the Arizona Emergency Information Network, high winds spread the fire, igniting spot fires as far as five kilometers ahead of the fire front, on 8 June. Dense plumes of smoke billow from the fire, and extend northeast, in the strong winds that drove the flames. The smoke has been affecting air quality through much of the United States.
The Wallow Fire started, due to human activity, on 29 May. It has forced evacuations from several eastern Arizona communities. As of 8 June, the fire has threatened hundreds of buildings, and destroyed 11.
References
Wallow Fire, Arizona
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=50924