Fire Potential / Fire Danger Maps
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Current Conditions
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Forecast
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Image Archive
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Data Archive
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Fire Danger Rating
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US48 | AK
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US48
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US48
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A Fire Danger Rating level takes into account current and
antecedent weather, fuel types, and both live and dead fuel
moisture (Deeming and others 1977, Bradshaw
and others 1984).
The adjective class rating is a method of
normalizing rating classes across different fuel models, indexes,
and station locations. It is based on the primary fuel model
cataloged for the station, the fire danger index selected to
reflect staffing levels, and climatological class breakpoints. This
information is provided by local station managers. About 90% use
the Burning Index (BI); others use Energy Release Component (ERC).
Staffing class breakpoints are set by local managers from
historical fire weather climatology.
Only reporting station locations are indicated with a marker on
the maps. Values between stations are estimated with an inverse
distance-squared technique on a 10-km grid. This works pretty well
in areas of relatively high station density, but has obvious
shortcomings in other areas.
A very good on-line primer on the NFDRS may be found at www.seawfo.noaa.gov/fire/olm/nfdrs.htm