CIMSS Satellite Blog

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm, top left), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, top right), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm, bottom left) and Fire Temperature (bottom right) [click to play animation | MP4]

The Camp Fire reportedly started at 1433 UTC or 6:33 AM local time on 08 November 2018 in Northern California; the rapid spread of the fire prompted evacuations and forced road closures. GOES-16 (GOES-East) GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) and Fire Temperature (above) showed the evolution of the fire at 5-minute intervals — especially noteworthy were the rapid vertical jump of the smoke column seen at 1547 UTC (which cast a long shadow), and Fire Temperature values that exceeded 2000 K (bright red pixels) at numerous times with a maximum value just over 2300 K.

1-km resolution NOAA-18 AVHRR Visible (0.64 µm), Near-Infrared “Vegetation” (0.86 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.7 µm) and Infrared Window (10.8 µµ) images (below) showed the bifurcation of the smoke plume as well as the large, very hot thermal signature of the fire at 1712 UTC or 9:12 AM local time.

NOAA-18 AVHRR Visible (0.64 µm), Near-Infrared “Vegetation” (0.86 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.7 µm) and Infrared Window (10.8 µm) images [click to enlarge]

NOAA-20 VIIRS Visible (0.64 µm), Near-Infrared “Snow/Ice” (1.61 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images [click to enlarge]

Higher spatial resolution views were provided by NOAA-20 VIIRS Visible (0.64 µm), Near-Infrared “Snow/Ice” (1.61 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images (above) and Aqua MODIS Visible (0.65 µm), Near-Infrared “Snow/Ice” (1.61 µm) and Infrared Window (11.0 µm) images (below). Note the the VIIRS images are incorrectly labeled as Suomi NPP.

Aqua MODIS Visible (0.65 µm), Near-Infrared “Snow/Ice” (1.61 µm) and Infrared Window (11.0 µm) images [click to enlarge]

Alternative views of the NOAA-20 VIIRS and Aqua MODIS images are shown below in legacy AWIPS-1.They include Shortwave Infrared images from the 2 satellites, which reveal the very large (approximately 10 miles in length) thermal anomaly or fire “hot spot”. Due to the very dry atmosphere over the region (MODIS 6.7 µm Water Vapor image), the smoke could be clearly seen on the MODIS 1.37 µm Cirrus image (since there was very little attenuation of upwelling 1.37 µm radiation by middle/upper-tropospheric water vapor).

NOAA-20 Visible (0.64 µm), Day/Night Band (0.7 µm), Near-Infrared “Snow/Ice” (1.61 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.74 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images [click to enlarge]

Aqua MODIS Visible (0.65 µm), Near-Infrared “Cirrus” (1.37 µm), Near-Infrared “Snow/Ice” (1.61 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.7 µm) and Infrared Window (11.0 µm) images [click to enlarge]

The smoke had an adverse  impact on air quality over 100 miles from the fire source: the surface visibility dropped to 1 mile at Santa Rosa KSTS and 2 miles at San Francisco International Airport KSFO (below).

Time series of surface observations from Santa Rosa [click to enlarge]

Time series of surface observations from San Francisco International Airport [click to enlarge]

from CIMSS Satellite Blog http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/blog/archives/30610