Unnamed Fire

198766,160 acresKentucky

The Unnamed Fire burned 66,160 acres, about 103 square miles, across 3 counties. It began on November 5, 1987.

Watch how it happened

Unnamed Fire · 1987

How it happened

See how severely each place burned, revealed outward from where it started.

About this replay
IgnitionNovember 5, 1987Historical replay — order not recorded
Final area66,160 ac
Revealed—
Counties3

How severely it burned

Burn severity inside the final perimeter, classified from Landsat images taken before and after the fire.

Map of burn severity across the Unnamed Fire
Burn severity by class
SeverityShareAcres
Moderatemixed: many trees killed, some survive2.3%1,555
Lowsurface fire, most trees survive93%61,726
Unburned to lowislands inside the perimeter, little change4.4%2,880

No part of the fire was classed as high severity; 2% burned at moderate severity.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (U.S. Geological Survey and USDA Forest Service). Classes come from the change in a Landsat burn index (dNBR) between images before and after the fire; acres are each class’s share of the fire’s mapped area.

Where it burned

Acres inside each county, measured from the satellite-mapped perimeter.

Acres burned by county
Breathitt CountyKY58,896
Perry CountyKY6,296
Lee CountyKY952

Other large fires in Kentucky in 1987

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service). Type recorded: Other.