Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite has taken detailed photographs of wildfires burning in the Colorado foothills near Denver.
      The one-meter and four-meter resolution color images were collected on June 14 at approximately 10:30 a.m. from the satellite's 423-mile-high orbit. The images show homes that have been damaged or destroyed, burned trees, grass and other areas impacted by the wildfires that began near Bailey, Colorado some 35 miles southwest of Denver. According to news reports, as many as 40 homes were destroyed by the fire in the area known as Hi Meadows.
      This imagery can be used to assess and measure damage to houses, open space, roads and highways, utility networks and other structures. It could also be used as a map to determine the safest routes for fire-fighting crews. The imagery is an ideal tool for fire modeling, determining vegetation moisture, calculating population density, disaster mitigation and eventually reconstruction.
      Satellite imagery from IKONOS was collected as soon as the sky was clear enough to show fire damage to the area, and the first image was delivered within nine hours. Because the imagery was received on the same day it was taken, it was placed on a web site so displaced residents could see how close the fire came to their homes.

False Color, Four-Meter Resolution Image of Hi Meadows Area, Colorado
This false color, four-meter resolution, near-infrared image collected on June 14, 2000, shows the Hi Meadows fire in Jefferson and Park Counties. The areas depicted in dark blue are the heavily burned areas, the blue haze is smoke from the fire, and the red areas show what's left of the healthy vegetation. Credit: "spaceimaging.com."

Black-and-White, One-Meter Resolution Image of Hi Meadows Area, Colorado
This black-and-white, one-meter resolution image collected on June 14, 2000 shows the Hi Meadows fire in Jefferson and Park Counties. The images clearly show houses which were destroyed from the fire in residential areas. The dark black areas shows the damage to trees and vegetation. Credit: "spaceimaging.com."

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