Natural Hazards >> Related Links >> Fires
	Fires :: Related Web Sites MODIS Land Rapid Response System The MODIS Land Rapid Response system has been developed to provide rapid access to MODIS data globally, with initial emphasis on 250m color composite imagery and active fire data. The experience gained during the Montana fires of 2000, when the MODIS team was asked to provide active fire information to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), has led to the improvement and automation of several of the steps involved in MODIS rapid data provision. MODIS Fire and Thermal Anomalies The need exists for information on the occurrence of fires on the land surface, since fire changes the surface cover type and releases gases and particulate matter into the atmosphere, affecting ecosystems and atmospheric chemistry. Fire is also a hazard and satellite derived fire information can be used for improved fire and forest management. USFS Remote Sensing Applications Center Regional Fire Maps These maps were compiled at the USDA Forest Service (USFS) Remote Sensing Applications Center in cooperation with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the University of Maryland and the National Interagency Fire Center. The fire locations are mapped using imagery collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). National Interagency Fire Center The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho is the nation's support center for wildland firefighting. Seven federal agencies call NIFC home and work together to coordinate and support wildland fire and disaster operations. These agencies include the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, National Weather Service, and Office of Aircraft Services. Storm Prediction Center Fire Weather Forecasts The Storm Prediction Center's (SPC) Fire Weather Forecast web site includes numerous forecast products (such as weather outlooks, storm/tornado watches and warnings, etc.), including fire weather forecasts/information pages. These pages provide national-scale fire weather guidance for NWS offices and other interested federal agencies dealing with wildland fire management. USFA Resources on Wildfires The United States Fire Administration (USFA) provides technical assistance and information resources related to wildfire and the urban wildland interface. This page provides information to assist local fire departments and the public in preparing for, and preventing, wildfire incidents. Fires :: Related Earth Observatory Articles Wildfires U.S. firefighters and land managers are using the most modern NASA-satellite data to combat wildfires. NASA's Terra satellite provides a view of fires across the entire United States, which helps fire experts manage fires more effectively, both during and after wildfire events. The effort is a collaboration between NASA, NOAA, the University of Maryland and the USDA Forest Service. Biomass Burning Biomass burning is the burning of living and dead vegetation, including both human-initiated burning for land clearing, and burning induced by lightning and other natural sources. Researchers with the Biomass Burning Project at NASA Langley Research Center are seeking to understand the impact that biomass burning has on the Earth's atmosphere and climate. Global Fire Monitoring Forest fires, brush fires, and slash and burn agriculture - types of biomass burning - are a significant force for environmental change, both locally and globally. Intentional deforestation by burning radically alters local landscapes. At regional scales, fires naturally shape ecosystems such as the boreal forest (Canada, Alaska, and Russia) and chapparral (Southern California). Globally, fires may play an important role in climate change, emitting both greenhouse gases and smoke particles (aerosols) into the atmosphere. Evolving in the Presence of Fire 1998 was an extreme year for wildfire activity throughout the North American and Russian boreal forests. More than 11 million hectares (110,000 square km) burned that year (Kasischke et al 1999). Examination of NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Landsat satellite images over the world's high northern latitude forests reveals a heavy peppering of burn scars across the boreal landscape. Closer examination of those image data reveals the boreal forest canopy to be a patchy mosaic of splotches where there are various stages of plant regrowth in the wake of earlier fires. Related Links: Dust & Smoke, Floods, General, Severe Storms, Volcanoes Natural Hazards Home | Fires Topic Home | Fires Archive | Section FAQ

	Subscribe to the Earth Observatory About the Earth Observatory Contact Us Privacy Policy and Important Notices Responsible NASA Official: Lorraine A. Remer Webmaster: Goran Halusa We're a part of the Science Mission Directorate