File:Fires in Myanmar (MODIS 2020-02-23).jpg

English: Hundreds of fire were burning in Myanmar on February 2020, contributing to the heavy smoke and haze which hung over the region. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the blazes and haze on February 18.

Each red “hot spot” marks an area where the thermal bands on the instrument detected high temperatures. When combined with typical smoke, as in this image, such hot spots mark actively burning fire.

Both accidental forest fires and intentional land-use fires (such as fires for clearing brush) are common in the area during the dry season. The smoke from these fires is a health and transportation hazard.

According to an article published in the Myanmar Times on January 22, the Myanmar Fire Services Department reported that 2,455 fires occurred in the country in 2019, killing 79 people and leaving 6,300 homeless.