Interpretation
On January, 2017, the International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters' was activated for forest fires in Chile. The fires began in the midst of a dry summer with record temperatures reaching 38 C. A heat wave, coupled with strong winds, spread the flames rapidly. On January 20, a state of emergency has been declared in south-central Chile due to the worst forest fires that the region has experienced in decades.
The map shows the burnt area in Nilahue and Barahona area derived from SPOT-6 imagery acquired on January 26, 2017.