Black Mountain
Blowup, Missoula County, MT
16 August 2003
As viewed by the FireMapper
Thermal-Imaging Radiometer
Images were collected from the PSW Airborne
Sciences Aircraft and disseminated in part by satellite
communications in near-real time. FireMapper measures the
radiance of emitted thermal-infrared light, which readily
penetrates smoke. False-color images shown here depict the
apparent surface temperature (in Celsius) as estimated from
radiance and a simple black-body model. Warmer tones represent
recent or active combustion; areas of gray are cooling ash
or warm bare ground (see chart at left). Low temperatures
of unburned forest and cool ground are shown in green. Images
have been geographically referenced. Vertical exaggeration
in 3-d views is 1.5 to one unless otherwise noted.
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Location Map
Northern Rocky Mts. (courtesy of
www.geomac.gov). Active fires are labeled in white. |
Click on the image above to view a larger JPEG image
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Fire Imagery
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The following color-coded images depict apparent ground surface temperatures
in Celsius. Roads, streams, and the text in the background are from
a 1:100,000 topographic map.
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Image 1:
Ground surface temperatures as viewed from above at 11.9
micrometers wavelength on 16 August 2003, from 21:42 to
22:04 MDT.
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Click on the image above to view a larger JPEG image |
Image 2:
Image from above, on a shaded relief map.
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Click on the image above to view a larger JPEG image |
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Image 3:
Topographic view as seen from the east of Image 1.
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(opens a new browser window)
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Narrative
from the INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT
SATURDAY AUGUST 17, 2003 - 0800 MDT. (Courtesy of www.nifc.gov.)
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BLACK MOUNTAIN
2, Southwestern Land Office, Montana Department of Natural
Resources & Conservation. A Type 2 Incident
Management Team (Dietrich) is assigned. A Type 1 Incident
Management Team (Gelobter) has been ordered. This fire is in
mixed conifer, understory and
grass, nine miles west of Missoula, MT. Shifting winds gusting
over 50 miles per hour caused the
fire to blow out in the O’Brien Creek area and spot on
the south side. Uphill runs, crowning,
multiple tree torching, and spotting were observed. Residences
were evacuated in the O’Brien
Creek, Cedar Ridge/Lyon Gulch and Triple Creek areas. There
are 131 residences immediately
threatened. Evacuation warnings were issued for 199 additional
homes. Structure protection is in
place for 650 residences.
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