Satellite Imagery of the Crisis
On July 19, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 got this image of fire activity on Rhodes. The image is natural color, with the infrared signature from actively burning fires overlaid in red. Thick smoke can be seen drifting westward toward the Aegean Sea.
This image records the start of what developed into an extreme period of wildfire.
Fire Progression and Evacuation Measures
NASA-affiliated researchers had the ability to track the fires spread with the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensing unit on the NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite. Calculating the border of actively burning areas every 12 hours, Eli Orland and Tess McCabe observed how the Rhodes fire spread reasonably slowly initially, then picked up quickly. Between July 21 and July 23, it went through a six-fold increase in size, from around 25 to 150 square kilometers (10 to 60 square miles), according to their analysis. Orland is a research partner at Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and McCabe is a post-doctoral partner at the University of Maryland, College Park.
An approximated 19,000 people evacuated from areas threatened by the blazes, according to report. Numerous sought sanctuary in makeshift shelters such as schools, gyms, and docked ships, while some in seaside towns boarded coast guard vessels to move to security.
Countrywide Fire Situation
Since July 24, there were 82 fires burning across Greece, with 64 of those starting on July 23. In addition to the numerous individuals influenced on Rhodes, upwards of 2,500 individuals on Corfu were evacuated, and locals of villages in southern Evia discovered themselves in harms method as high winds fanned the flames.
Climate Projections and Fire Patterns
Fires are not unusual in Greece, but heat-stoked fire weather is projected to become more typical as the world warms. The intense fire season of 2021 came on the heels of severe heat, and the variety of fires and area burned in Greece were far above average. Experts believe the existing heat wave is set to become Greeces longest on record, with temperature levels exceeding 40 ° C (104 ° F) for days on end in late July. The area burned by fires is more than double the average for this point in the year.
NASAs Assistance and Data Provision
NASAs Earth Applied Sciences Disasters program area has been activated in assist with the fires in Greece, reacting to a demand from the World Central Kitchen for data and imagery of the fires place and impacts to inform their humanitarian efforts in setting up kitchens for those affected. As brand-new details becomes readily available, the team will be publishing maps and data products on its open-access mapping website.
Fire activity on the Greek island of Rhodes on July 19, 2023, recorded by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Wildfires broke out on Rhodes and other islands amidst record heat, requiring thousands to leave.
A prolonged heatwave in Greece led to prevalent wildfires in July 2023, triggering mass evacuations. NASA-affiliated scientists tracked the scenario utilizing satellite images, and the organizations Earth Applied Sciences Disasters program is supporting relief efforts by supplying essential data. Climate projections suggest such fires might end up being more common due to worldwide warming.
Wildfires raving throughout the Greek island of Rhodes sent 10s of thousands of residents and travelers scrambling for safety in late July 2023. An extended stretch of extreme heat contributed to high fire risk across much of the nation. Blazes also fired up on the mainland and the islands of Corfu and Evia.
On July 19, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 got this image of fire activity on Rhodes. The image is natural color, with the infrared signature from actively burning fires overlaid in red. Computing the border of actively burning locations every 12 hours, Eli Orland and Tess McCabe observed how the Rhodes fire spread fairly slowly at initially, then chose up quickly. Fires are not uncommon in Greece, however heat-stoked fire weather condition is forecasted to become more typical as the world warms. The intense fire season of 2021 came on the heels of extreme heat, and the number of fires and area burned in Greece were far above average.