The MIT Technology Review has a feature with images taken by NASA’s unmanned aerial vehicle Ikhana equipped with a new thermal-imaging sensor. The sensor has a broad thermal range that helps to track the fires and better map the hot spots, slicing through thick smoke to reveal fire intensity. The detailed heat maps let firefighters determine where the fire is heating up or cooling down, aiding the deployment of resources.
The above image is from the Lick Fire of September 2007. The latest images in the Technology Review feature are much more detailed.
