July 20, 2014 - Mills Canyon Fire, Washington

Mills Canyon Fire, Washington

The Mills Canyon fire started near the City of Entiat on Tuesday, July 8, 2014. Despite the efforts of local resources, the fire quickly grew to over 1,000 acres by evening. Three outbuildings were damaged. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Washington Department of Natural Resources. The fire team is working with existing local resources in developing fire control strategies and tactics. Other cooperators include the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Washington State Department of Natural Resources, (WA DNR), Bureau of Land Management, Chelan County Emergency Management, and Chelan County Fire District 8. The Chelan County Sheriff’s office is providing assistance with evacuations and road closures.

As of the afternoon of July 10, the day the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image, the fire was estimated at 18,065 acres. Actively burning areas, detected by MODIS’s thermal bands, are outlined in red.

As of the evening of July 18, the Mills Canyon Fire has been combined for management purposes with two other nearby fires – the Chiwaukum and Kelly fires. Collectively they are known as the Mills Canyon Complex. The Mills Canyon Fire had burned 22,571 acres, the Chiwaukum Creek Fire had burned 6,630 acres and the Kelly Mountain Fire had burned 60-80 acres, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/10/2014
Resolutions: 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC