File:Fires and burn scar in Pilliga National Park, New South Wales (false color) (MODIS 2018-01-27).jpg

English: A massive bushfire scorched over 57,880 hectares (143,000 acres) in Australia’s Pilliga Forest in mid-January 2018. The fire was first reported on January 17, presumably ignited from lightning, which also sparked other fires in the region that same day. As of January 26, part of Pilliga Forest are remain closed due to wildfire, including nine roads, the Salt Caves picnic area and campground, the lookout tower, and the Dandry Gorge visitor area.

Located near the town of Baradine, in central New South Wales, Pilliga Forest is the largest and most intact temperate eucalypt woodland in eastern Australia, spanning more than a half of a million hectares. The Forest is surrounded by a broad agricultural belt and is ecologically important for its biodiversity. The Wilderness Society reports that 25 nationally listed and 48 state listed threatened species rely on this woodlands for their survival. Some notable species living here include koala, barking owl, gloss-backed cockatoos, and the Pilliga mouse.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a false-color image of actively burning fire as well as burn scar in the Pilliga Forest on January 22, 2018.

The false-color image (using bands 7,2,1) uses portions of the electromagnetic spectrum that are typically invisible to the naked eye, making it easier to distinguish the burn scar and reveals hot spots caused by actively burning fire. With this band combination, vegetation appears bright green, bare soil is colored sandy pink and actively burning fire appears bright red. The large burn scar, colored reddish-brown, contrasts strongly with the surrounding vegetation.