Image: Prescribed fires consume Kansas landscape
Thursday, April 13, 2017 - 06:51
in Earth & Climate
Most if not all the fires in this image taken by Suomi NPP satellite's VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) instrument on April 11, 2017 are controlled fires set by farmers to manage land. Farmers in Kansas as allowed to burn grass every year to produce better grass for cattle. The grass burning typically occurs between March and mid-April on a yearly basis. The issue is with air quality. Air quality alerts are currently in place in Kansas and also in Nebraska as the smoke from the fire drifts in that direction.