On February 27, 2024, wildfires across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles experienced explosive fire behavior and rapid rates of spread. This weather-driven blow-up (NWS summary) ultimately led to the Smokehouse Creek Fire (Inciweb) becoming the largest fire in Texas state history at over 1 million acres. The passage of a low-pressure trough ahead of a cold front led to dramatic changes in wind direction and fire spread which were subsequently captured by a variety of satellite systems. This event is worth studying and the Satellite Liasson Blog post from February 28, 2024 has an excellent summary of the event and how it was captured by GOES and VIIRS satellite systems. Take 10 minutes to read the blog and watch the satellite animations.
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