Wildfires Across the Plains Kill Five

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While none have been killed in Kansas (one has now been reported dead in Kansas) or Oklahoma, four have died in Texas. They were trying to save horses and cattle.

State and federal officials have a new tool, the brand-new GOES-16 weather satellite, to help them quickly locate wildfires. From yesterday:
The purple is a wildfire identified by satellite. The blue are smoke plumes as tracked on weather radar.

In extremely rural areas, fires can develop and grow for a period of time without being detected. The faster fire crews can get to the fires, the easier it is for them to be extinguished. These new satellite capabilities have come on line just in time.

Weather science's natural hazard capabilities just keep getting better!

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