Forest Fires in the United States
24 January 2000
Several active fire signals were recorded last week by OSEI with the NOAA-14 POES AVHRR HRPT satellite on 21 January 2000 in the Southeast region of the United States and Florida.
 |
 |
Fig. 1. and 2. The satallite images show
heat signatures and smoke plumes from areas of fire burning in Alabama, Georgia and the
Florida Panhandle.
(Source: NOAA/OSEI)
According to the INCIDENT
MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT of Friday, 21 January 2000, last week, "...Fire
activity continued in the Southern, Southwest and Southern California Areas. Large fire
activity was reported in the Southern Area and all large fires are controlled.
The southern states will be dry through much of the period. Highs will be mostly around
10°C.
The southwest will be partly cloudy with high temperatures around 10°C in the north and
15-20°C in the southern portions.
.... ."
Especially in the Southern Areas of the United States prescribed fire activities were carried out last week. 39 fires on 3,977 ha were reported to the National Interagency Fire Center.
The Wildland Fire Assessment System is a contribution of "The Fire Behavior Research Work Unit", Missoula (Montana USA). The broad area component of the Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS) generated national maps of selected fire weather and fire danger components. Fire Danger (Potential) is a normalized adjective rating class across different fuel models and station locations. It is based on information provided by local station managers about the primary fuel model, fire danger index selected to reflect staffing level, and climatological class breakpoints. Low danger (class 1) is green and extreme potential (class 5) is red.
 |
 |
 |
Fig. 3., 4. and 5. Fire Danger Forecast
Maps of the United States and Alaska for 23 January (observation time) and 24 January
(next day forecast; right map) 2000
(Source: Fire Behavior Research Work
Unit, Missoula)
Remarks on Remotely Sensed Fire Events and Prescribed Burning
The high-temperature events depicted by the NOAA AVHRR satellite in the South and the Southeast are not all wildfires. At this time of the year prescribed burning operations are conducted routinely.
Fire is an important natural tool for ecosystem management. It can reduce dense vegetation improving wildlife habitat and lessening the potential for large, wildfire disasters. Land managers are directed to prepare a prescribed fire/burn plan for every area of public land that can burn. Some areas require total suppression while others will benefit from a wildland fire. Those areas that will benefit from a fire can be treated by a prescribed fire.
Especially, for the moment, in the southern and southeastern regions of the United States prescribed fire activities will be carried out in the following weeks and months. In this case, fire signals on satellite images can be traced back to this kind of land management activities.
In the Prescribed Fire Position Paper of the Forest Protection Bureau by the Division of Forestry in Florida, prescribed fire activity is described as a land management application that is essential to the practice of forestry, management of wildlife, preservation of endangered plant and animal species, improvement of range conditions and reduction of wildfire damage in the wildland/urban interface areas. While there is general public and landowner concern with increased smoke, reduced air quality, and liability; the general public and landowners benefit significantly from the reduction of devastating wildfire, improved wildlife habitat and forage, preservation of endangered and threatened plant and animal species, and improved management of forest resources. The prospect of severe reductions in the utilization of this management tool is of major concern to Florida's natural resource managers and conservationists due to the subsequent loss of derived public and private benefits. They suggest the need for legislative attention.
Another report on nation-wide prescribed burning in the U.S.A. was published in International Forest Fire News No.19 (September 1998).
A set of photographic documents on prescribed burning techniques and objectives in the Southeast can be visited in our photo archive.