Wildfire Information & Resources

Fuel Moisture

WRFx Realtime Products provide up-to-date fuel and weather for practitioners. These products offer real-time fuel moisture  estimates for dead and live fuels based on state of the art data assimilation methods leveraging observations from automated weather stations. The WRFx provide access access to both observational data (point observations) as well as the analysis products (spatial maps) of dead fuel moisture in four basic classes: 1hr, 10hr, 100hr and 1000hr. Aside from the dead fuel moisture the system also  provides access to live fuel moisture observations, helping practitioners make informed decisions and effectively plan for wildfire events, WRFx products deliver timely and essential fuel insights to optimize operations and mitigate wildfire risks.

Fire Detections

WIRC collects near real-time satellite detections form VIIRS, MODIS, and GEOS16/17, as well as airborne fire perimeters. The composite satellite data are visualized in the WRFx system, while WIRC GIS system provides also infrared perimeters. 

Fire Forecasts

The fuel moisture estimates and satellite data from the WRFx system  are used to inform operational fire and smoke forecasts executed using the WRF-SFIRE model. The coupled fire atmosphere simulations provide high-resolution forecasts of weather conditions, fire behavior as well as plume rise and smoke dispersion. The WRFx numerical forecast provide critical information about expected ifre behavior and air quality impacts of wildfires

The core component is WRF-SFIRE which is a coupled fire-atmosphere model based on WRF (Weather Research Forecasting System) and SFIRE fire spread model.

During the fire season, the WRFx system is running 48h forecasts twice a day at 03z (8 am PDT) and 15z (8 pm PDT). The nominal start times of the simulations are 00z and 12z, and each forecast starts from a 2-hour spin-up. The runs are processed on the fly and uploaded to the WRFx web portal. The fire state is initialized using the last IR fire perimeters and the most recent satellite fire detections using data from the WIRC GIS portal. 

WIRC Weather Forecasts

WIRC operates state of the art weather data processing and visualization system providing critical fire weather information. The system processes high-resolution weather forecast data to create weather maps, point forecasts and atmospheric soundings.  Additionally, it also presents vertical cross-section and pressure gradients through critical wind corridors in California as well as lightning data.

Fire Danger & Risk

  • National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS)

    National daily observed/forecast Fire Danger Rating maps.

  • Daily Probabilistic Significant Fire Forecast

    Daily probabilistic map of significant fire given ignition in the Western U.S.

  • GACC Outlooks

    Contains links to 7-day, monthly, and seasonal Significant Fire Potential outlooks for each Geographic Area Coordination Center (GACC), and nationally.

  • NWS National Warnings & Hazards

    An interactive tool displaying watches and warnings issued by the NWS, useful for the display of Fire Weather Watches and Red Flag Warnings. Additionally, you can overlay forecasts, surface observations, satellite imagery, and radar.

  • Severe Fire Wx Potential Mapping System (USFS-WFAS)

    Provides map of severe weather potential across the contiguous U.S. Derived from the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) in combination with RAWS observations.

  • Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Fire Weather Outlooks

    Fire weather outlooks up to 8 days ahead produced by NOAA’s SPC, as well as additional fire weather forecast tools.

Other Fire & Weather Data Sources

  • National Weather Service Homepage

    A storm system is beginning to take shape across the southern tier of the U.S. today.

  • MesoWest (University of Utah)

    National interactive map showing current and past surface weather observations from numerous networks.

  • MODIS Satellite Imagery

    Updated MODIS satellite imagery by state for the contiguous U.S.

  • Dry Lightning

    Dry lightning occurrence is of critical importance to land management agencies.

  • U.S. Drought Monitor

    The maps which are based on analysis of data.

  • National Interagency Fire Center Statistics

    The nation’s federal wild land fire community is a large and complex organization.