Satellite and aircraft teams help manage wildfires

Satellite and aircraft teams help manage wildfires Today’s Video of the Day from NASA describes how data from satellites and aircraft can help locate and manage wildfires from overhead. 

Each wildfire season, a collaboration between the U.S. Forest Service aircraft teams and satellite teams from NASA and NOAA collects valuable information for fire management that cannot be obtained from the ground. 

Airborne teams help identify a fire’s perimeter and sometimes map multiple fires in one night. 

Satellites provide a global view of active fires, identifying them soon after they start. As seen above in vide the Satellite and aircraft teams help manage wildfires showing the amount of work they put into obtain the the amount of fires that can grow far across the terrain. Each year, a coordinated effort from the U.S. Forest Serviceaircraft teams andsatellite teams from NASA and NOAA provide valuable information thathelp fire management teams on the ground make the best decisions possible. 

Observations from the air help responders prioritize where firefighters and other resources should be sent. Also Optical remote sensing tools utilize the visible and infrared sensors located on high-resolution earth observation satellites for studying forest fires. The near-infrared, mid-infrared and thermal bands are susceptible to changes in vegetation health. The U.S. Forest Service response to all human-caused wildfires is suppression. In certain locations, when conditions are right, the agency response to natural wildfire. Therefore may be to manage it to reduce fuels and restore ecosystems that benefit from fire.

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Video Credit: NASA