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NASA satellite spots fires raging in Chile

By Brooks Hays
Dozens of wildfires continue to burn in central Chile. Photo by NASA/Earth Observatory/MODIS
1 of 2 | Dozens of wildfires continue to burn in central Chile. Photo by NASA/Earth Observatory/MODIS

Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Two new images from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites -- and their Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers -- reveal dozens of smoke plumes emanating from raging wildfires in Chile.

Both images were captured on January 25, 2017, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

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Fires have been burning along the coast of central Chile for several days. The blazes were spawned by a heat wave, while high winds helped spread the flames.

Ten people have been killed by the fast-moving blazes. More than 1,060 square miles have been scorched, including commercial pine and eucalyptus forests.

Last week, a line of encroaching fire forced 200 people from their homes in Pichilemu, a small beach town.

Chile is a hotspot for wildfires. As of January 23, 2017, there were 108 active forest fires. Last fire season featured a total of 6,700 blazes.

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