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Wildfires are an essential part of forest and rangeland health. However, as climate conditions become hotter and drier, wildfires have grown more intense and destructive across much of the U.S. To help address this threat, USGS develops state-of-the-art science to assess the effects of changing climate on wildfire patterns. This information is invaluable for fire management across the country.
In a joint effort between the USGS and the U.S. Forest Service, the Fire Danger Forecasting Project focuses on research and development of maps suited for monitoring and forecasting wildfire potential within the conterminous United States.
The USGS provides valuable resources that inform wildland fire prevention, response, and recovery. Check out some useful links related to wildfire, smoke, and post-fire hazards.
Over the last several decades, climate conditions, especially in the western United States, have grown hotter and drier. If climate change continues to play out as predicted, the likelihood of wildfires will worsen.
Our understanding of fire’s role in the natural world and fire management policies has changed over the last century. We have learned that fire is an important part of many ecosystems. It “cleans out” dead leaves and branches, adds nutrients to the soil, and helps the seeds of some plants to sprout. Knowing this, policies have shifted away from full fire suppression to that of more natural fire cycles.
Unfortunately, while we are working to improve fire management, we are also dealing with the compounding issue of climate change. Many regions of the U.S. are now experiencing prolonged periods of drought and record temperatures. These areas often also have an excessive buildup of fallen leaves and understory brush. Conditions remain ripe to drive intense wildfires that damage natural areas and, sadly, nearby communities.
Another aspect that warmer temperatures have on the landscape is they allow non-native creatures to travel to and survive in areas they previously found uninhabitable. One example of a problematic species is the invasive bark beetle. Climate change has eliminated the seasonal cold spells that would normally kill off the beetles. Bark beetles have killed 100,000 square miles of trees across western North America in the last 20 years. The swaths of dead trees are much more susceptible to wildfire and increase the likelihood that a fire can spread faster and farther.
To protect natural and human communities, resource managers need information on how wildfires of the future will be different from those of the past. To address this need, USGS researchers develop state-of-the-art science to understand the effects of climate change on wildfires.
Our science helps to:
Landsat satellites acquire useful data on wildfires around the world. Their near infrared and shortwave infrared imaging allows for detection and mapping of fire, smoke, and burn scars often in remote areas.
In California: the Dixie Fire near Lake Almanor and the Caldor Fire near Lake Tahoe.
Landsat satellites acquire useful data on wildfires around the world. Their near infrared and shortwave infrared imaging allows for detection and mapping of fire, smoke, and burn scars often in remote areas.
In California: the Dixie Fire near Lake Almanor and the Caldor Fire near Lake Tahoe.
The Caldor fire in California started on August 14, 2021 and quickly spread in high winds.
The fire continues to expand toward the Lake Tahoe area as residents evacuate.
This image was captured on August 21, the 8th day.
Landsat 8's near infrared and shortwave infrared bands reveal active fire, burn scars, and smoke.
The Caldor fire in California started on August 14, 2021 and quickly spread in high winds.
The fire continues to expand toward the Lake Tahoe area as residents evacuate.
This image was captured on August 21, the 8th day.
Landsat 8's near infrared and shortwave infrared bands reveal active fire, burn scars, and smoke.
The Dixie Fire has become the largest single fire in California's recorded history. State fire officials don't list it at the top, however. The record is held by the massive August Complex fire of 2020 which burned over one million acres. The term "complex" is used when multiple fires in the same area ignite separately.
The Dixie Fire has become the largest single fire in California's recorded history. State fire officials don't list it at the top, however. The record is held by the massive August Complex fire of 2020 which burned over one million acres. The term "complex" is used when multiple fires in the same area ignite separately.
In late March of 2021, just four miles from the edge of South Dakota's second-largest city, two wildfires sparked by human activity burned through a section of the Black Hills.
In late March of 2021, just four miles from the edge of South Dakota's second-largest city, two wildfires sparked by human activity burned through a section of the Black Hills.
Warmer, drier and longer fire seasons in the Northwest have led to larger and more frequent wildfires.
Warmer, drier and longer fire seasons in the Northwest have led to larger and more frequent wildfires.
The relationship between people and wildfire has always been paradoxical: fire is an essential ecological process and management tool but can also be detrimental to life and property. Consequently, fire regimes have been modified throughout history through both intentional burning to promote benefits and active suppression to reduce risks.
The relationship between people and wildfire has always been paradoxical: fire is an essential ecological process and management tool but can also be detrimental to life and property. Consequently, fire regimes have been modified throughout history through both intentional burning to promote benefits and active suppression to reduce risks.
LANDFIRE (LF) Remap is the most comprehensive mapping effort in LF's history. This years-long effort included updating the base maps across the original data product suite to create LF's second base map product suite consisting of 28 vegetation and fuels layers. LF Remap products reflect circa 2016 ground conditions.
LANDFIRE (LF) Remap is the most comprehensive mapping effort in LF's history. This years-long effort included updating the base maps across the original data product suite to create LF's second base map product suite consisting of 28 vegetation and fuels layers. LF Remap products reflect circa 2016 ground conditions.
Title: USGS Fire Science: Understanding why wildlands burn and what can be done about it
Title: USGS Fire Science: Understanding why wildlands burn and what can be done about it
Fires can be destructive or healthy for a landscape—often both. Fires have grown larger and more destructive in recent years, though, thanks to human activity, climate change, and a host of other factors. Satellite data helps us to map and monitor fire activity, but the study of post-fire plant life using remote sensing data goes further than fire mapping.
Landsat satellites acquire useful data on wildfires around the world. Their near infrared and shortwave infrared imaging allows for detection and mapping of fire, smoke, and burn scars often in remote areas.
In California: the Dixie Fire near Lake Almanor and the Caldor Fire near Lake Tahoe.
Landsat satellites acquire useful data on wildfires around the world. Their near infrared and shortwave infrared imaging allows for detection and mapping of fire, smoke, and burn scars often in remote areas.
In California: the Dixie Fire near Lake Almanor and the Caldor Fire near Lake Tahoe.
The Caldor fire in California started on August 14, 2021 and quickly spread in high winds.
The fire continues to expand toward the Lake Tahoe area as residents evacuate.
This image was captured on August 21, the 8th day.
Landsat 8's near infrared and shortwave infrared bands reveal active fire, burn scars, and smoke.
The Caldor fire in California started on August 14, 2021 and quickly spread in high winds.
The fire continues to expand toward the Lake Tahoe area as residents evacuate.
This image was captured on August 21, the 8th day.
Landsat 8's near infrared and shortwave infrared bands reveal active fire, burn scars, and smoke.
The Dixie Fire has become the largest single fire in California's recorded history. State fire officials don't list it at the top, however. The record is held by the massive August Complex fire of 2020 which burned over one million acres. The term "complex" is used when multiple fires in the same area ignite separately.
The Dixie Fire has become the largest single fire in California's recorded history. State fire officials don't list it at the top, however. The record is held by the massive August Complex fire of 2020 which burned over one million acres. The term "complex" is used when multiple fires in the same area ignite separately.
In late March of 2021, just four miles from the edge of South Dakota's second-largest city, two wildfires sparked by human activity burned through a section of the Black Hills.
In late March of 2021, just four miles from the edge of South Dakota's second-largest city, two wildfires sparked by human activity burned through a section of the Black Hills.
Warmer, drier and longer fire seasons in the Northwest have led to larger and more frequent wildfires.
Warmer, drier and longer fire seasons in the Northwest have led to larger and more frequent wildfires.
The relationship between people and wildfire has always been paradoxical: fire is an essential ecological process and management tool but can also be detrimental to life and property. Consequently, fire regimes have been modified throughout history through both intentional burning to promote benefits and active suppression to reduce risks.
The relationship between people and wildfire has always been paradoxical: fire is an essential ecological process and management tool but can also be detrimental to life and property. Consequently, fire regimes have been modified throughout history through both intentional burning to promote benefits and active suppression to reduce risks.
LANDFIRE (LF) Remap is the most comprehensive mapping effort in LF's history. This years-long effort included updating the base maps across the original data product suite to create LF's second base map product suite consisting of 28 vegetation and fuels layers. LF Remap products reflect circa 2016 ground conditions.
LANDFIRE (LF) Remap is the most comprehensive mapping effort in LF's history. This years-long effort included updating the base maps across the original data product suite to create LF's second base map product suite consisting of 28 vegetation and fuels layers. LF Remap products reflect circa 2016 ground conditions.
Title: USGS Fire Science: Understanding why wildlands burn and what can be done about it
Title: USGS Fire Science: Understanding why wildlands burn and what can be done about it
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...
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...
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...
Wildfires are an essential part of forest and rangeland health. However, as climate conditions become hotter and drier, wildfires have grown more intense and destructive across much of the U.S. To help address this threat, USGS develops state-of-the-art science to assess the effects of changing climate on wildfire patterns. This information is invaluable for fire management across the country.
In a joint effort between the USGS and the U.S. Forest Service, the Fire Danger Forecasting Project focuses on research and development of maps suited for monitoring and forecasting wildfire potential within the conterminous United States.
The USGS provides valuable resources that inform wildland fire prevention, response, and recovery. Check out some useful links related to wildfire, smoke, and post-fire hazards.
Over the last several decades, climate conditions, especially in the western United States, have grown hotter and drier. If climate change continues to play out as predicted, the likelihood of wildfires will worsen.
Our understanding of fire’s role in the natural world and fire management policies has changed over the last century. We have learned that fire is an important part of many ecosystems. It “cleans out” dead leaves and branches, adds nutrients to the soil, and helps the seeds of some plants to sprout. Knowing this, policies have shifted away from full fire suppression to that of more natural fire cycles.
Unfortunately, while we are working to improve fire management, we are also dealing with the compounding issue of climate change. Many regions of the U.S. are now experiencing prolonged periods of drought and record temperatures. These areas often also have an excessive buildup of fallen leaves and understory brush. Conditions remain ripe to drive intense wildfires that damage natural areas and, sadly, nearby communities.
Another aspect that warmer temperatures have on the landscape is they allow non-native creatures to travel to and survive in areas they previously found uninhabitable. One example of a problematic species is the invasive bark beetle. Climate change has eliminated the seasonal cold spells that would normally kill off the beetles. Bark beetles have killed 100,000 square miles of trees across western North America in the last 20 years. The swaths of dead trees are much more susceptible to wildfire and increase the likelihood that a fire can spread faster and farther.
To protect natural and human communities, resource managers need information on how wildfires of the future will be different from those of the past. To address this need, USGS researchers develop state-of-the-art science to understand the effects of climate change on wildfires.
Our science helps to:
Landsat satellites acquire useful data on wildfires around the world. Their near infrared and shortwave infrared imaging allows for detection and mapping of fire, smoke, and burn scars often in remote areas.
In California: the Dixie Fire near Lake Almanor and the Caldor Fire near Lake Tahoe.
Landsat satellites acquire useful data on wildfires around the world. Their near infrared and shortwave infrared imaging allows for detection and mapping of fire, smoke, and burn scars often in remote areas.
In California: the Dixie Fire near Lake Almanor and the Caldor Fire near Lake Tahoe.
The Caldor fire in California started on August 14, 2021 and quickly spread in high winds.
The fire continues to expand toward the Lake Tahoe area as residents evacuate.
This image was captured on August 21, the 8th day.
Landsat 8's near infrared and shortwave infrared bands reveal active fire, burn scars, and smoke.
The Caldor fire in California started on August 14, 2021 and quickly spread in high winds.
The fire continues to expand toward the Lake Tahoe area as residents evacuate.
This image was captured on August 21, the 8th day.
Landsat 8's near infrared and shortwave infrared bands reveal active fire, burn scars, and smoke.
The Dixie Fire has become the largest single fire in California's recorded history. State fire officials don't list it at the top, however. The record is held by the massive August Complex fire of 2020 which burned over one million acres. The term "complex" is used when multiple fires in the same area ignite separately.
The Dixie Fire has become the largest single fire in California's recorded history. State fire officials don't list it at the top, however. The record is held by the massive August Complex fire of 2020 which burned over one million acres. The term "complex" is used when multiple fires in the same area ignite separately.
In late March of 2021, just four miles from the edge of South Dakota's second-largest city, two wildfires sparked by human activity burned through a section of the Black Hills.
In late March of 2021, just four miles from the edge of South Dakota's second-largest city, two wildfires sparked by human activity burned through a section of the Black Hills.
Warmer, drier and longer fire seasons in the Northwest have led to larger and more frequent wildfires.
Warmer, drier and longer fire seasons in the Northwest have led to larger and more frequent wildfires.
The relationship between people and wildfire has always been paradoxical: fire is an essential ecological process and management tool but can also be detrimental to life and property. Consequently, fire regimes have been modified throughout history through both intentional burning to promote benefits and active suppression to reduce risks.
The relationship between people and wildfire has always been paradoxical: fire is an essential ecological process and management tool but can also be detrimental to life and property. Consequently, fire regimes have been modified throughout history through both intentional burning to promote benefits and active suppression to reduce risks.
LANDFIRE (LF) Remap is the most comprehensive mapping effort in LF's history. This years-long effort included updating the base maps across the original data product suite to create LF's second base map product suite consisting of 28 vegetation and fuels layers. LF Remap products reflect circa 2016 ground conditions.
LANDFIRE (LF) Remap is the most comprehensive mapping effort in LF's history. This years-long effort included updating the base maps across the original data product suite to create LF's second base map product suite consisting of 28 vegetation and fuels layers. LF Remap products reflect circa 2016 ground conditions.
Title: USGS Fire Science: Understanding why wildlands burn and what can be done about it
Title: USGS Fire Science: Understanding why wildlands burn and what can be done about it
Fires can be destructive or healthy for a landscape—often both. Fires have grown larger and more destructive in recent years, though, thanks to human activity, climate change, and a host of other factors. Satellite data helps us to map and monitor fire activity, but the study of post-fire plant life using remote sensing data goes further than fire mapping.
Landsat satellites acquire useful data on wildfires around the world. Their near infrared and shortwave infrared imaging allows for detection and mapping of fire, smoke, and burn scars often in remote areas.
In California: the Dixie Fire near Lake Almanor and the Caldor Fire near Lake Tahoe.
Landsat satellites acquire useful data on wildfires around the world. Their near infrared and shortwave infrared imaging allows for detection and mapping of fire, smoke, and burn scars often in remote areas.
In California: the Dixie Fire near Lake Almanor and the Caldor Fire near Lake Tahoe.
The Caldor fire in California started on August 14, 2021 and quickly spread in high winds.
The fire continues to expand toward the Lake Tahoe area as residents evacuate.
This image was captured on August 21, the 8th day.
Landsat 8's near infrared and shortwave infrared bands reveal active fire, burn scars, and smoke.
The Caldor fire in California started on August 14, 2021 and quickly spread in high winds.
The fire continues to expand toward the Lake Tahoe area as residents evacuate.
This image was captured on August 21, the 8th day.
Landsat 8's near infrared and shortwave infrared bands reveal active fire, burn scars, and smoke.
The Dixie Fire has become the largest single fire in California's recorded history. State fire officials don't list it at the top, however. The record is held by the massive August Complex fire of 2020 which burned over one million acres. The term "complex" is used when multiple fires in the same area ignite separately.
The Dixie Fire has become the largest single fire in California's recorded history. State fire officials don't list it at the top, however. The record is held by the massive August Complex fire of 2020 which burned over one million acres. The term "complex" is used when multiple fires in the same area ignite separately.
In late March of 2021, just four miles from the edge of South Dakota's second-largest city, two wildfires sparked by human activity burned through a section of the Black Hills.
In late March of 2021, just four miles from the edge of South Dakota's second-largest city, two wildfires sparked by human activity burned through a section of the Black Hills.
Warmer, drier and longer fire seasons in the Northwest have led to larger and more frequent wildfires.
Warmer, drier and longer fire seasons in the Northwest have led to larger and more frequent wildfires.
The relationship between people and wildfire has always been paradoxical: fire is an essential ecological process and management tool but can also be detrimental to life and property. Consequently, fire regimes have been modified throughout history through both intentional burning to promote benefits and active suppression to reduce risks.
The relationship between people and wildfire has always been paradoxical: fire is an essential ecological process and management tool but can also be detrimental to life and property. Consequently, fire regimes have been modified throughout history through both intentional burning to promote benefits and active suppression to reduce risks.
LANDFIRE (LF) Remap is the most comprehensive mapping effort in LF's history. This years-long effort included updating the base maps across the original data product suite to create LF's second base map product suite consisting of 28 vegetation and fuels layers. LF Remap products reflect circa 2016 ground conditions.
LANDFIRE (LF) Remap is the most comprehensive mapping effort in LF's history. This years-long effort included updating the base maps across the original data product suite to create LF's second base map product suite consisting of 28 vegetation and fuels layers. LF Remap products reflect circa 2016 ground conditions.
Title: USGS Fire Science: Understanding why wildlands burn and what can be done about it
Title: USGS Fire Science: Understanding why wildlands burn and what can be done about it
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...
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...
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...
