Wildfire Management

Active large wildfires were ingested from the National Interagency Fire Center (NFIC) National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) Incident Management Situation Reports (IMSR). Data were avaIlable as geoJSON files.

The data displayed on this map include active (ongoing) "large" wildland fires. This does not includes prescribed burns. The NICC lassifies "large" wildland fires as 100 acres or larger in timber and slash fuel models; 300 acres or larger in grass or brush fuel models; or when a Complex, Type 1, or Type 2 Incident Management Team is assigned. 

The IMSR is prepared by the NICC Intelligence Program staff from information and data derived from the SIT/209 Application.  Large full suppression wildland fires are typically reported in the IMSR until: 

• The incident is contained. 
• The incident has less than 100 personnel assigned. 
• The incident is no longer demonstrating significant activity. 
• The incident fails to submit an ICS-209 three (3) days in a row.

For more information on criteria for fire inclusion, view Understanding the IMSR or the National Interagency Mobilization Guide, Chapter 60: Predictive Services.

U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) data from the National Drought Mitigation Center were available in a GIS format. Access USDM GIS data.

Fire outlooks data were available in a GIS format from the National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC).

The SPC is responsible for forecasting meteorological conditions which, when combined with the antecedent fuel conditions, favor rapid growth and spread of a fire should an ignition occur. Although the ignition source of a fire is often due to non-meteorological factors, the SPC does forecast dry thunderstorms, which are considered the only meteorological ignition source.

The SPC issues five categorical risk areas to highlight fire weather threats in the day 1 and 2 fire weather outlooks: elevated, critical, or extremely critical for temperature, wind and relative humidity (RH), as well as a isolated or scattered (critical) for dry thunderstorms. Learn more about the criteria used to issue these outlooks.

AirNow is a one-stop source for air quality data. AirNow reports air quality using the official U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI), a color-coded index designed to communicate whether air quality is healthy or unhealthy.

The AQI is calculated for four major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air quality standards to protect public health. Of these, ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health.

AirNow is a partnership of the EPA, NOAA, National Park Service, NASA, Centers for Disease Control, and tribal, state, and local air quality agencies.