Natural Hazards - Wildfires

Wildfires are a growing natural hazard in most regions of the United States, posing a threat to life and property, particularly where native ecosystems meet developed areas.

However, because fire is a natural (and often beneficial) process, fire suppression can lead to more severe fires due to the buildup of vegetation, which creates more fuel.

In addition, the secondary effects of wildfires, including erosion, landslides, introduction of invasive species, and changes in water quality, are often more disastrous than the fire itself.

The USGS, in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service and other partners, provides tools and information by identifying wildfire risks and ways to reduce wildfire hazards, providing real-time firefighting support, and assessing the aftermath of wildfires. The goal is to build more resilient communities and ecosystems.

Highlighted Wildfire Resources

Select the next to each link to open that item in a new window.

National Interagency Fire Center
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho is the nation’s support center for wildland firefighting.
California Interagency Fire Plan
Create a map of an area, print, and download data to the your computer to use with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software.
California Shrublands
Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination (GEOMAC)
Web mapping tool providing real-time wildland fire information to the public, fire managers, and fire personnel.
Geospatial Task Group Website
Coordinated point of contact providing information and expertise on the use of geospatial data, standards, applications, and processes in support of interagency wildland fire management.
InciWeb: National Wildland Fire Incidents
An interagency wildland fire incident information management system for the public and media.
LANDFIRE
A five-year, multi-partner project producing maps and data describing vegetation, wildland fuel, and fire regimes across the United States.
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity
Multi-year project designed to consistently map the burn severity and perimeters of fires across all lands of the U.S. for the period spanning 1984 through 2010.
National Fire Plan Viewer
Mapping application that visually portrays the Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture land management agencies' hazardous fuels program projects in relation to the wildland urban interface communities.
Satellite Applications for Fire Science
Sierra Wildland Fire Reporting System (SWFRS)
Reporting system providing real-time air quality information during prescribed-burn operations and for all federal fires in the southern and central Sierra Nevada range.
USGS Response to Southern California Fires
Images, news releases, video and more all related to the USGS's response to the 2007 Southern California wildfires.
Wildfire Hazards—A National Threat
A fact sheet about wildfires and the danger they pose to Nation.
Wildfire Related Podcasts (USGS CoreCast)
Podcasts from the USGS with topical discussion on wildfires and wildland fire support.