Forest Fires in the United States

15 June 2001


Wildland Fire Update
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) based in Boise (Idaho) provides key information on current wildland fire situations, related information and background materials. The following information is updated daily and can be accessed directly:

The National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC)  provides daily situation reports. These reports include:

 

Fire Weather & Fire Danger Information
The
Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS) is a contribution of "The Fire Behavior Research Work Unit", Missoula (Montana USA). The broad area component of the Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS) generates 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.

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Fire danger maps for conterminous United States for 14 June 2001 (observation time) and 15 June 2001 (forecast)
(Source: WAFS)

Dead fuel moisture responds solely to ambient environmental conditions and is critical in determining fire potential. Dead fuel moistures are classed by timelag.

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10-HR Fuel Moisture

100-HR Fuel Moisture

1000-HR Fuel Moisture

Fuel moisture maps for conterminous US, 14 June  2001
(Source: WAFS)

The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) is a soil/duff drought index. Factors in the index are maximum daily temperature, daily precipitation, antecedent precipitation, and annual precipitation. The index ranges from 0 (no drought) to 800 (extreme drought) (details).

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Keetch-Byram Drought Index Maps for conterminous US, 14 June  2001
(Source: WAFS)

 

Near-real time satellite images
Operational Significant Event Imagery (OSEI)
The following significant events were identified by Satellite Analysis Branch meteorologists and reviewed by the OSEI support team of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

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NESDIS/OSEI NOAA-14 POES AVHRR LAC satellite images, 14 June 2001.
Heat signatures (red) and smoke (light blue haze) are visible from fires burning in central California.
(Source: OSEI/NOAA)

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NESDIS/OSEI NOAA-14 POES AVHRR LAC satellite images, 13 June 2001.
Heat signatures (red) are visible from fires burning in Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri.
(Source: OSEI/NOAA)

 

Long-range weather forecasts
National Weather Service
Long-range, 30-day weather forecasts are predicting above-normal temperatures for the southern tier of states from southern California to Florida and throughout the Midwest (see 30 and 90-day forecast maps).

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30 and 90-day temperature and precipitation forecast maps (June and June to August 2001)
(Source: National Weather Service)


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