This map displays detectable thermal activity from VIIRS satellites for the last 7 days and MODIS satellites for the last 48 hours. VIIRS Thermal Hotspots and Fire Activity is a product of NASA’s Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) Earth Observation Data, while MODIS Global Fires is a product of NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Both are part of NASA’s Earth Science Data. VIIRS satellites collect at a 375 meter resolution, and MODIS collect at 1 km. It should be noted that both datasets contain “false positives” (e.g., oil/natural gas wells or volcanoes) since the satellite will detect any large thermal signal.

Also shown are point and perimeter locations of wildfire occurrences within the United States over the past 7 days. Wildfire points are sourced from Integrated Reporting of Wildland-Fire Information (IRWIN). IRWIN provides data exchange capabilities between participating wildfire systems, including federal, state and local agencies. Data is synchronized across participating organizations to make sure the most current information is available. The display of the points are based on the NWCG Fire Size Classification applied to the daily acres attribute. Perimeters are from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and may not reflect current conditions on the ground. For a better understanding of the workflows involved in mapping and sharing fire perimeter data, see the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Standards for Geospatial Operations.

ESRI provides this data, and we included a map of US Native Lands so it could be used by tribes for Natural Resources Planning.