LA SMC

1
Rapid Dry-Up of Rainwater on Land Surface Leading
to the Santa Barbara Wildfire
S. V. Nghiem Jet Propulsion Laboratory May 2009
Results obtained from NASA/JPL and NOAA/PSD SMC
products
2
Santa Barbara on 2 May 2009
Maximum temperature was 73oF, 49 minimum humidity
3
Santa Barbara on 3 May 2009
Maximum temperature was 89oF breaking the record
set in 1984 27 min. humidity
4
Santa Barbara on 6 May 2009
Maximum temperature was 100oF breaking the
record set in 1991 wildfire flared up
5
Wildfire Extent on 7 May 2009
Jesusita fire extent (orange) from MODIS data by
USFS RSAC (3D overlay by Nghiem)
6
Houses burn and others are threatened by flames
during the Jesusita Fire in the hills of Santa
Barbara, California, Wednesday, 6 May 2009.
Mark Ralston, AFP