Operational remote sensing technologies for wildfire assessment

Rapidly providing image products and remote sensing derived information to wildfire managers is necessary to maximize their utility for current wildfire situation assessment and strategic planning. In an effort to address this need, the USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Center (RSAC) coordinates with NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the University of Maryland to provide the USDA Forest Service MODIS Active Fire Mapping Program. The program utilizes high temporal resolution image data acquired by the MODIS sensor onboard the Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites TERRA and AQUA to facilitate active fire monitoring. The primary objective of the program is to provide real time MODIS imagery and MODIS-derived fire products for active fire assessment in the western United States and near-real time fire products for the rest of the continental United States and Alaska. In 2004, the program plans to coordinate with other MODIS Direct Readout facilities to provide real time coverage to other areas of the United States and Canada