A wet winter season in the southwestern states has produced a thick vegetation growth that is now dry enough to catch fire. Lightning strikes and other events have sparked several wildfires in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah, some of which can be seen in this satellite image (West Side Complex, Good Springs and Hackberry Complex). Strong winds and hot temperatures have made these fires difficult to contain. They now threaten or have destroyed numerous subdivisions and recreational sites. Many famlies have been evacuated.
Read more and see additional images for
Wildfires in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah at NASA's EarthObservatory website.
# posted by MapWatch @ Monday, June 27, 2005
