Australian Fire Activity:29 Aug - 7 Sep 2007

Below is the latest 10-day composite hotspot map from Australia from the NASA MODIS Rapid Response website. Dates of the composite are 29 August to 7 September (despite what the label says on the map!).

Most significant fire activity currently remains in the northern reaches of the country over this period.

Over the Top End, activity remains at approximately the same level as the last composite. Fires are particularly prevalent in the northern portions of Arnhem Land. Subjectively, the fires in that region are seemingly a bit more continuous than seen previously.

South of the Gulf of Carpenteria in NT near the QLD border, fire activity has increased since the last update. A large fire encompassing ~156 000 ha (estimated from NAFI) is currently active south of Robinson River. Several other fires are burning in the McArthur river district, but none as large as this eastern most case.

Two fairly significant fires are burning in the Tiwi Islands to the north of Darwin. The fire to the south is quite large. NAFI suggests the size of this fire is about 96 000 ha.

AS noted most recently here, quite significant fire activity continues in the Kimberley. The Thangoo fire and those on the Dampier Peninsula are quite apparent on the composite. Significant tracts of land have burnt in this region since August.

A small area of fires is burning in the Pilbara. These fires are isolated and relatively small at this time.

Several large fires are also noted in the Tanami Desert region of central NT. The fires in the vicinity of Tennant Creek continue to burn. Approximately another 165 000 ha has burnt in the western fire of these two, and about an additional 90 000 ha to the Eastern one. (This is in addition to what was reported earlier...). Large fires are also noted south of Lajamanu in the west (2 fires ~200 000 ha and 70 000 ha), near Tanami Downs (~300 000 ha). Several smaller fires, probably not visible in the composite, are burning to the south of these. This will most likely grow over the next week or two to become large fires.

A few fires are also apparent in the northern portions of the Cape York Peninsul in QLD. These are relatively small and isolated at this time.

Widespread isolated fires are apparent in SE QLD and NE NSW. None of these appear to be particularly large at this time, and may be agricultural fires.

Over the remainder of the country, very isolated hotspots are detected.