Prescribed fires, such as this one, are used by land managers to restore ponderosa pine forests to more resilient conditions. We are fortunate to be able to occasionally participate in such burns because we are co-located with land managers.
Where can I find wildfire perimeter data?
The USGS operated the Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination (GeoMAC) website from 2000-2020. GeoMAC was the public face of all wildland fire perimeters. That site was shut down on April 30, 2020 and responsibility for wildfire information was transferred to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).
- The GeoMAC mapping application at "geomac.gov" has been replaced by the National Fire Situational Awareness Mapping Site
- Data previously at "rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/outgoing/GeoMAC/" is now at Wildland Fire Open Data
- The REST services at "wildfire.cr.usgs.gov/ArcGIS/rest/services" are now at Wildland Fire Open Data
For customer service, contact BLM_FA_NIFC_Comments@blm.gov
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What should I know about wildfires and debris flows?
Wildland fires are inevitable in the western United States. Expansion of human development into forested areas has created a situation where wildfires can adversely affect lives and property, as can the flooding and landslides that occur in the aftermath of the fires. There is a need to develop tools and methods to identify and quantify the potential hazards posed by landslides produced from...
Will global warming produce more frequent and more intense wildfires?
There isn’t a direct relationship between climate change and fire, but researchers have found strong correlations between warm summer temperatures and large fire years, so there is general consensus that fire occurrence will increase with climate change. Hot, dry conditions, however, do not automatically mean fire—something needs to create the spark and actually start the fire. In some parts of...
- Multimedia
A fire burns along the ground in a ponderosa pine forest, New MexicoA fire burns along the ground in a ponderosa pine forest, New Mexico
Prescribed fires, such as this one, are used by land managers to restore ponderosa pine forests to more resilient conditions. We are fortunate to be able to occasionally participate in such burns because we are co-located with land managers.
Prescribed fires, such as this one, are used by land managers to restore ponderosa pine forests to more resilient conditions. We are fortunate to be able to occasionally participate in such burns because we are co-located with land managers.
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Wildfire and Alaskan PermafrostDeploying geophysical equipment in the Nome Creek (AK) area to assess the effect of wildfire on permafrost. Small electrical signals are injected into the ground through metal stakes connected to the orange cable in the foreground. The measured response is used to detect belowground permafrost conditions.
Deploying geophysical equipment in the Nome Creek (AK) area to assess the effect of wildfire on permafrost. Small electrical signals are injected into the ground through metal stakes connected to the orange cable in the foreground. The measured response is used to detect belowground permafrost conditions.
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