File:Fires in Tasmania (MODIS 2019-01-30).jpg

English: Dozens of large fires fueled by extremely dry and hot conditions have been burning for almost two weeks in central and southeast Tasmania, the southernmost state of Australia. As the temperatures and winds increased, on January 29, 2019 the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) headline read “Another horror bushfire day, with a new warning for Glazier’s Bay and Petchey’s Bay”.

The firefighters expected fire expansion to the southeast due to increased winds from the northwest, bringing fires closer to several towns. So far the fires have claimed only three dwellings, but the blazes have closed many roads, making travel—other than by emergency vehicles—difficult for residents. More than 1,000 residents in two locations lost power temporarily due to proximity of fire to powerlines, according to news reports.

As of January 28, the Tasmania Fire Service reported 44 fires. The Great Pine Tier fire in the Central Plateau had burned more than 40,000 hectares. The Riveaux Road fire in the south had burned more around 14,000 hectares. News outlets reported smoke from some of the fires was visible as far away as New Zealand.

The Tasmania Fire Service issued several emergency warnings to residents to relocate, as dangerous fire conditions and strong wind persist.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of dozens of blazes burning across Tasmania on January 26.