Satellite Image of Colorado's Hayman Fire Released by Space Imaging

DENVER, June 13, 2002 - Space Imaging, the world's leading provider of Earth imagery and related services to commercial and government markets, today released a satellite image of the Hayman Fire burning 35 miles south of Denver, Colorado.

Enhanced color image

Photo credit: Space Imaging

These reduced resolution satellite images show an overview of the Hayman Forest Fire burning in the Pike National Forest 35 miles south of Denver. The image was collected on June 12, 2002 at 12:14 p.m. by Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite. The photo is comprised of several IKONOS images that have been reduced in resolution and combined to better visualize the extent of the fire's footprint.

In the natural color image, the gray-green area underneath the white smoke is burned vegetation and the darker green area is healthy vegetation. The enhanced color image was taken with the satellite's near-infrared sensor. In the enhanced color image, the burned area is purple and the green areas are healthy vegetation. The burned area measures approximately 20 by 10.5 miles.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, when this image was taken, the fire had consumed 86,000 acres and has become Colorado's worst fire ever. This type of imagery is used to assess and measure damage to forest and other types of land cover. It also is used for fire modeling, disaster preparedness, insurance and risk management and disaster mitigation efforts to control erosion or flooding after the fire is out. One-meter high-resolution imagery from IKONOS can also be used to evaluate damage to individual structures.

The 1600-pound IKONOS satellite travels 423 miles above the Earth's surface at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour. It's the world's first commercial high-resolution remote sensing satellite and can see objects on the ground as small as one-meter square. As of this month Space Imaging has collected more than 800,000 images of the earth's landmass, representing imagery over every continent.

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Source: Material used in press releases is often supplied by external sources and used as is.