Wildland Fire Detection using Satellite Imagery
John Weaver, Dan Bikos, Dan Lindsey, Dan Leszcynski
This is a basic session.
- To review the fire weather forecast
- Requirements of the fire weather forecasts, watches and warnings
- Tools for performing the job
- Unique aspects of the red flag warning
- To learn new techniques for wildland fire detection
- Observation and reporting by spotters / public
- Value added to wildland fire detection using satellite image data - especially RSO
- To work through case studies of wildland fire detection using GOES satellite imagery
Training Session Options
LMS students - to begin the training, use the web-based video, YouTube video, or audio playback options below (if present for this session). Certificates of completion for NOAA employees can be obtained on the Commerce Learn Center
- Web-based video that can be taken at anytime (streamed, not recommended for low-bandwidth users). Be sure to have your speakers on and the volume loud enough to hear the presentation. For students who initiated this course in the NWS Learning Center (LMS), certificates of completion can be obtained from the learning center's "My Transcript" page upon completion of the associated quiz.
Audio playback (recommended for low-bandwidth users) - This is an audio playback version in the form of a downloadable VISITview and can be taken at anytime.
Create a directory to download the audio playback file (86 MB) from the following link: 
After extracting the files into that directory click on either the visitplay.bat or visitauto.bat file to start the lesson. If both files are present, use visitauto.bat
- Talking points are available for this lesson and may be printed out to easily review the session in detail at any time.
- COMET Fire Weather Modules at MedEd
- Wildfire ABBA Fire Product
- SPC Fire Weather Forecasts
- National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC)
- US Drought Monitor
- SSD Hazard Mapping System
- NESDIS Fire Products
- Firestorm Inducted Tornado page (video mentioned during teletraining session)
- Bailey, A.W., and M.L. Anderson, 1980: Fire temperatures in grass, shrub and aspen communities in central Alberta. Journal of Range Management, 33, 37-40.
- Dozier, J., 1981: A method for satellite identification of surface temperature fields of sub-pixel resolution. Remote Sensing of Environment, 11, 221 - 229.
- Flannigan, M.D., and T.H. Vonder Haar, 1986: Forest fire monitoring using NOAA satellite AVHRR. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 16, 975 - 982.
- Hufford, G.L., et. al., 1999: Detection and growth of an Alaskan forest fire using GOES-9 3.9um imagery. Int. J. Wildland Fire, 9(2), 129-136.
- Prins, E. M., and W. P. Menzel, 1992: Geostationary satellite detection of biomass burning in South America, Int. J. Remote Sensing, 13, 2783-2799.
- Weaver, J.F., J.F.W. Purdom, and T.L. Schneider, 1995: Observing forest fires with the GOES-8, 3.9 Ám imaging channel. Wea. Forecasting, 10, 803-808.
- Developed: 2003