The Infrared Mission

The mission of the NIICD's Infrared section is to provide accurate high-quality infrared imagery to an incident in a timely manner. Through the years this has become quite a task. As technology advances, so do infrared mapping requirements. NIICD Infared, with the assistance of the Remote Sensing Applications Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, is tasked to stay "up-to-date" on emerging infrared technologies and their applications for wildfire suppression and study. NIICD currently accomplishes is mission with thermal line scanners.

History of Infrared Mapping

In the early 1960's a study on Infrared Line Scanners for Fire Mapping was conducted by Stanley N. Hirsch, Robert L. Bjornsen, Forrest H. Madden, and Ralph A. Wilson of the Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, USDA Forest Service in Missoula, Montana. It was called Project Fire Scan and ran from 1962 to 1966. In the initial tests an AAS/5 scanner was loaned to the group and modified to meet the requirements of the study. In 1964 a contract was negotiated by the Office of Civil Defense and the first Fire Mapping Infrared Line Scanner was manufactured and delivered to the USDA Forest Service in the spring of 1965. The USDA Forest Service has been utilizing Infrared Line Scanners in their wildland fire protection program successfully since 1966.

Equipment Development

Since its beginning in 1966, the National Infrared Operations Unit (composed of NIICD Infared and NIFC Forest Service Aviation) has been "digging into" new emerging technologies. During the last several months many dedicated individuals and organizations have been doing very careful research by engaging in open discussions. Scientists and professors from the University of Michigan Sciences Department, two private corporations, along with engineers and program managers from both NASA and the US Army Aviation and Missile Command decided that line scanners are the best infrared technology for fire detection and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.

Work has been completed for updating the current line scanners at NIICD resulting in the Phoenix System. Finding sources for the motors, mirrors, electronics, and mechanical components is complete. The line scanner offers a wide field-of-view (120 degrees), fast data acquisition (200 scan lines per second), optimal resolution (12.5 square feet per pixel at 10,000 Feet Above Ground Level (AGL)), which translates to the ability to cover a very large amount of area in a short time and detect very small fires reliably!

NIICD Infrared News

Phoenix System
The Phoenix line scanning system will be the primary system for 2003. Testing of Phoenix was completed in 2002. Daedalus will supplement Phoenix with Flame in reserve.

Downlinking
A point-to-point downlinking system will be tested this year. This system should operate up to 50 miles away from the ground site to the aircraft.

NIICD Infrared is looking into the availability of a satellite downlinking system. Issues include bandwidth availability and equipment size.

Infrared Line Scanning Interpreters

The National Infrared Operations Unit products would have minimal value without a host of dedicated and highly trained Infrared Interpreters. These people can take a thermal image of plotches, wiggles, and dots then locate hotspots, hand lines, dozer lines, and rocks to say nothing of obvious terrain features like roads, streams, ridges, and buildings with extreme accuracy. They transfer line scanner data to local terrain maps. These maps guide incident personnel on where to concentrate their resources and assist the local people and media on the fire status.

For more information on Infrared Interpreters email the National Infrared Coordinator.

USDA/FS Current Infrared Systems

Phoenix System

The latest system from the National Infrared Operations Unit is a Windows 98-based computer with a single Data Acquisition Card. The output of this system will be a continuous strip image and a geo-referenced ".tiff" file CD-ROM. Phoenix is NIICD's primary line scanner.

Phoenix Capabilities and Products

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Daedalus ABS 3500 System

This system was designed and built by Daedalus Enterprises. It has the capability of detecting an 8 inch Hot Spot from 14,000 feet AGL. The output of this system is a continuous strip image and an 8 mm data tape that can be imported into ERDAS Imagine.

Daedalus Capabilities and Products

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Flame System

Designed and built by JPL/NASA in the mid-80's, this system has undergone a complete retrofit of its printing system. It is capable of detecting an 8 inch Hot Spot from 14,000 feet AGL. It outputs a continuous strip image. Flame is a backup system to Phoenix and Daedalus.

Flame Capabilities and Products

USDA/FS CURRENT INFRARED AERIAL PLATFORMS

Citation (Bravo/II) - The USDA Forest Service Infrared Program has fought long and hard to acquire a new aircraft that will meet our needs. We now have a Citation Bravo/II after the sale of our old Sabreliner Jet. The USDA Forest Service is now the proud owners of N100Z.

Super King Air B200 - This aircraft has been in the fleet since the early 80's.

King Air B90 - This aircraft has been in the fleet since the late 60's.

Infrared Flight Order Request Forms

Incidents should send completed forms to their Geographic Area Coordination Centers (GACC). The National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) at NIFC will then arrange for infrared flights.

(Word) (PDF)

Contact NIICD's Infrared Staff

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