The Hayman Fire, which started on June 8, continues to burn in the Pike National Forest, 57 kilometers (35 miles) south-southwest of Denver. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the fire has consumed more than 100,000 acres and has become Colorado's worst fire ever. More than 50 neighborhoods have been evacuated, forcing more than 5,000 people from their homes. Erratic winds continue to produce extreme fire behavior. The fire is less than 50 percent contained and has already cost more than $11 million to combat.
In this Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) image, acquired Sunday, June 16, 2002, at 10:30 a.m. MST, the dark blue area is charred vegetation and the green areas are healthy vegetation. Red areas are active fires, and the blue cloud at the top center is smoke. Standard clouds are white, and in the morning sunlight they are casting black shadows on the ground to their north and west. The image covers an area 32.2 kilometers wide by 35.2 kilometers tall (20.0 x 21.8 miles), and ASTER channels 8-3-2 in red, green, and blue are displayed.
Image courtesy NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team