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Fires
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First of all, it must be said that climate plays an important role in the origin of fires because the constant alternation of seasons normally and inevitably leads to hot and dry periods that are capable of increasing the flammability of vegetation and, therefore, the formation of fires, obviously on a large scale (worldwide); and fires not only cause “immediate” damage such as, for example, soil consumption and the loss of fauna, which in turn affect trees and biodiversity, but also cause enormous quantities of carbon emissions, a highly impactful substance, and all of which feeds a real “vicious circle” of climate warming.
In addition, the phenomenon of smoke from fires is by no means to be underestimated because, as it disperses in the air, it significantly decreases air quality even hundreds of kilometres away. Carbon monoxide (CO) remains in the atmosphere for weeks, therefore it remains a powerful indicator concerning the range of pollution, even between different continents!
The active fire map* that we propose here, is a service offered and produced by NASA FIRMS based on data collected by satellites. The information thus obtained is processed very quickly and made available to the public in just a few hours (within 3 hours). This makes it possible to know objectively where a fire has occurred and its extent.
*NOTE: NASA’s Fire Information Resource Management System (FIRMS) provides data on “active fires” in near real time, usually within 3 hours of detection (so-called “radiometer spectrum”) for “moderate resolution” images (MODIS). Satellite (Array) observations are made with visible infrared imaging radiometers (VIIRS). While VIIRS improves the spatial resolution to 375 metres and its performance at night is usually much higher, MODIS is a sensor that operates with a resolution of one pixel per 1 km.
To best interpret the hotspot data shown on the map, it is necessary to bear in mind that:
- the location of the hotspot on the map is only accurate within the spatial accuracy of the sensor;
- some fires may be so small and go undetected or be obscured by smoke or clouds and not be detected;
- not all hot spots are fires: satellites, which are very sensitive, can also detect other heat sources.
Unfortunately, today the whole world is burning: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania… Fires (and not only the arson fires) are becoming increasingly frequent and intense due to climate change, accentuated also, or rather, above all, by human activities. Today, more than ever, fires are a determining factor for the climate and are, unfortunately, synonymous of climate crisis.
The disastrous “fire season” is getting longer across our Planet; in order to protect the “home” in which we live, we are forced to face extreme emergencies: the growing number of fires is even affecting territories where, until now, no one would have ever imagined and, the Arctic, is one of the most glaring examples.
Fires and climate change are part of the same “vicious circle”: the more fires the more greenhouse gas emissions and, consequently, the more extreme weather events (higher than average seasonal temperatures, much longer periods of drought); the hotter and drier the climate, the greater the risk of fires spreading rapidly, becoming a threat that is difficult to contain and suppress.
For this and another set of valid reasons, it has now become of paramount importance to devote more resources (especially in terms of money and time) to monitoring fires, which cause dangerous CO2 emissions and serious loss of human life and biodiversity.
There is only one way forward: to strengthen, on a global level, the “resilience” of forest ecosystems by creating and fostering more adequate prevention, protection and conservation systems: thus moving from an “emergency approach” to a worldwide governmental “prevention” system.
Fire monitoring therefore becomes extremely important, and science and technology, which have made “giant strides”, now provide us with truly effective control and prevention tools. In this specific case, we are talking about space satellites that, orbiting the Earth, are able to detect active fires early and with extreme precision. The satellite images and coordinates are transmitted to ground control centres, enabling the relevant emergency teams to intervene very quickly.
Among the various monitoring tools to our disposal, NASA’s interactive map, the Fire Information for Resouce Management System (FIRMS), deserves mentioning: indeed, with this web map, the user is able to find out the daily global fires situation within three hours of the flyover made by the satellite used for these surveys.
The fire detection algorithm of this particular instrument is able to compare the temperature of a potential fire with that of the surrounding terrain. If the temperature difference exceeds a certain threshold, the “hot spot” on the map would confirm the existence of an active fire; however, if the fire were very small (outbreaks), due to the spatial resolution of the sensor, the satellite would not be able to detect it immediately.
The map we are proposing is a tool designed not only for “insiders” but also for anyone interested in learning about the current fire situation on our Planet. The map also offers the possibility of comparing historical data with current ones.
NOTE: the FIRMS map offers two monitoring modes: MODIS (Aqua&Terra) which has a pixel resolution of 1 km2 and detects active fires by comparing the temperature with neighbouring pixels (but, in this case, detection depends on the severity and extent of the fire being detected and monitored). VIIRS (SUOMI NPP and NOAA-20), on the other hand, detects active forest fires based on thermal anomalies and its spatial resolution is much finer (1 pixel – 375 metres); this second mode is capable of detecting smaller fires on the ground with more accuracy.
Having made this brief “technical” clarification, we now invite the public to visit the interactive FIRMS fire map.