Image of the Week: Bird Island Ablaze

In Montana, wildfire swept across Flathead Lake's 30 acre Bird Island in early August of 2020. Landsat 8 captured this imagery one day after the fire began. The satellite's short wave infrared and near infrared bands reveal the active fire covering approximately half of the island. Smoke obscures the remainder. The same band combination highlights healthy vegetation 16 days earlier. Landsat 8 data archived at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center is a powerful tool for monitoring the impact of wildfires in the U.S. and around the world.