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Wildfire Management

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The Drought.gov team reformats data from multiple partners into web- and GIS-ready formats, which we use throughout Drought.gov. These data, hosted on Google Cloud Storage, are free for all to download or reference directly from their web applications.

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Maps
Map
Dataset Name

Large Active Wildfires

Update Schedule
Data Valid
Last Update
12/08/23

Active large wildfires were ingested from the National Interagency Fire Center (NFIC) FTP server.

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

Source(s)
Update Schedule

This map is updated daily. View more national fire activity in the National Interagency Fire Center's Incident Management Situation Report.

Map
Dataset Name

1-Day Fire Weather Outlook

Update Schedule
Data Valid
Last Update
12/09/23

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.

Source(s)
Update Schedule

This map is updated daily with data from the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. View more fire weather outlooks. 

Map
Dataset Name

AirNow Air Quality Index

Update Schedule
Data Valid
Last Update
12/08/23

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.

Source(s)
Update Schedule

On Drought.gov, Air Quality Index maps are updated daily at 10 a.m. Eastern. View hourly air quality information from AirNow.

Stats
Dataset Name

Active Large Wildfires

Update Schedule
Updates Daily
Last Update
12/08/23

Active large wildfires were ingested from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) FTP server.

Source(s)
Dataset Name

Population Near Active Fires

Update Schedule
Updates Daily
Last Update
12/08/23

Active large wildfires were ingested from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) FTP server. GIS was used to identify and aggregate population data within 10 miles of every active fire.

Source(s)

National Interagency Fire Center, Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC)