MODIS Active Fire Products

Each MODIS active fire/thermal hotspot location represents the center of a 1km pixel that is flagged by the algorithm as containing one or more fires within the pixel. Combined (Terra and Aqua) MODIS NRT active fire products (MCD14DL) are processed using the standard MOD14/MYD14 Fire and Thermal Anomalies algorithm.

MODIS Collection 61 has been available since April 2021. C61 processing does not contain any change to the science algorithm; the update is from changes and enhancements to the calibration approach used in the generation of the Terra and Aqua MODIS Level 1B products. For further details on C61 calibration changes and other changes user is encouraged to refer to the PDF summarizing Collection 6.1 specific changes. For the most up to date information, please refer to the MODIS Collection 6 and 6.1 Version 1.0 Active Fire Product User's Guide (updated May 2021).

VIIRS (375m) Active Fire Products

Each VIIRS active fire/thermal hotspot location represents the center of a 375m pixel. The VIIRS data complement the MODIS fire detections but the improved spatial resolution of the 375 m data provides a greater response of fires over relatively small areas and has improved nighttime performance. Read more on VIIRS active fire products.

VIIRS NRT 375 m active fire products are from: Suomi NPP (VNP14IMGTDL_NRT); NOAA-20, formally known as JPSS-1 (VJ114IMGTDL_NRT); and NOAA-21, formally known as JPSS-2 (VJ214IMGTDL_NRT).

Active Fire Data Attributes for MODIS and VIIRS

View data attribute tables for NRT MODIS active fire data and NRT VIIRS 375m active fire data.

NASA supports full and open sharing of data. We ask that if you provide data or imagery from FIRMS to a third party, you follow the guidelines below and replicate or provide a link to our disclaimer.  View LANCE FIRMS's citation and acknowledgments as part of the broader Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project Data Use Guidance.

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the use of data and/or imagery from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) part of NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth observations (LANCE) and NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).

Disclaimer

LANCE is operated by the ESDIS Project. The information presented through LANCE, GIBS, Worldview, and FIRMS are provided “as is” and users bear all responsibility and liability for their use of data, and for any loss of business or profits, or for any indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of any use of, or inability to use, the data, even if NASA or ESDIS were previously advised of the possibility of such damages, or for any other claim by you or any other person. Due to the spatial resolution and other characteristics of these data, their use for tactical decision-making or informing about conditions at a local scale are not advised.

ESDIS makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, including implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose or merchantability, or with respect to the accuracy of or the absence or the presence or defects or errors in data, databases of other information. The designations employed in the data do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of ESDIS concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. For more information please contact Earthdata Support: earthdata-support@nasa.gov.

User Guides

Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) 375 m Active Fire Algorithm User Guide (Updated July 2018)

MODIS Collection 6 Active Fire Product User's Guide, Revision B (Updated December 2018)

MODIS Collection 5 Active Fire Product User’s Guide, v2.5 (Updated 31 March 2013)

FIRMS, Active Fire, and Burned Area Publications

The publications listed below describe FIRMS, the MODIS Active Fire and Burned Area Products, and explore the level of accuracy of the products.

Read about FIRMS in the Earthdata article Fires from Space, and how near real-time MODIS fire detections are used in NASA's Sensing Our Planet publication Orbiting Watchtowers.

Giglio L., Schroeder, W., & Justice, C.O. (2016). The collection 6 MODIS active fire detection algorithm and fire products. Remote Sensing of Environment, 178: 31-41. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2016.02.054 PDF

Schroeder, W., Oliva, P., Giglio, L., & Csiszar, I. A. (2014). The New VIIRS 375m active fire detection data product: algorithm description and initial assessment. Remote Sensing of Environment, 143: 85-96. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2013.12.008 PDF

Justice, C.O., Giglio, L., et al. (2011). MODIS-Derived Global Fire Products. Land Remote Sensing and Global Environmental Change. B. Ramachandran, C.O. Justice, and M.J. Abrams, Springer New York. 11: 661-679. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-6749-7_29

Davies, D.K., Ilavajhala, S., Wong, M.M., & Justice, C.O. (2009). Fire Information for Resource Management System: Archiving and Distributing MODIS Active Fire Data. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 47(1): 72-79. doi:10.1109/TGRS.2008.2002076

Schroeder, W., Prins, E., Giglio, L., Csiszar, I., Schimdt, C., Morisette, J., & Morton, D. (2008). Validation of GOES and MODIS active fire detection products using ASTER and ETM+ data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 112 (2008): 2711-2726. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2008.01.005

Csiszar, I., Morisette, J., & Giglio, L. (2006). Validation of active fire detection from moderate resolution satellite sensors: the MODIS example in Northern Eurasia. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 44(7): 1757-1764. doi:10.1109/TGRS.2006.875941

Giglio, L., van derWerf, G.R., Randerson, J.T., Collatz, G.J., & Kasibhatla, P. (2006). Global estimation of burned area using MODIS active fire observations. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 6: 957-974. doi:10.5194/acp-6-957-2006

Wooster, M.J., Roberts, G., Perry, G.L.W., & Kaufman, Y.J. (2005). Retrieval of biomass combustion rates and totals from fire radiative power observations: FRP derivation and calibration relationships between biomass consumption and fire radiative energy release. Journal of Geophysical Research, 110, D24311. doi:10.1029/2005JD006318

Morisette, J.T., Giglio, L., Csiszar, I., Setzer, A., Schroeder, W., Morton, D., & Justice, C.O. (2005). Validation of MODIS active fire detection products derived from two algorithms. Earth Interactions, 9(9): 1-25. doi: 10.1175/EI141.1

Morisette, J.T., Giglio, L., Csiszar, I., & Justice, C.O. (2005). Validation of the MODIS Active fire product over Southern Africa with ASTER data. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 26: 4239-4264. doi:10.1080/01431160500113526

Wooster, M.J., Zhukov, B., & Oertel, D. (2003). Fire radiative energy for quantitative study of biomass burning: Derivation from the BIRD experimental satellite and comparison to MODIS fire products. Remote Sensing of Environment, 86(1): 83-107. doi:10.1016/S0034-4257(03)00070-1 PDF

Giglio, L., Descloitres, J., Justice, C.O., & Kaufman, Y. (2003). An enhanced contextual fire detection algorithm for MODIS. Remote Sensing of Environment, 87: 273-282. doi: 10.1016/S0034-4257(03)00184-6

Justice, C.O., Giglio, L., Korontzi, S., Owens, J., Morisette, J., Roy, D., Descloitres, J., Alleaume, S., Petitcolin, F., & Kaufman, Y.J. (2002). The MODIS fire products. Remote Sensing of Environment, 83: 244-262. doi:10.1016/S0034-4257(02)00076-7

Kaufman, Y.J., Justice, C.O., Flynn, L.P., Kendall, J.D., Prins, E.M., Giglio, L., Ward, D.E., Menzel, W.P., & Setzer, A.W. (1998). Potential global fire monitoring from EOS‐MODIS.Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (1984–2012), 103(D24): 32215-32238. doi:10.1029/98jd01644

The following links maybe useful for users wanting to learn more or connect with other fire networks/see other fire applications.

• Wildfires Data Pathfinder

Background/Framework

Global Observations of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) Fire Monitoring and Mapping Implementation (GOFC-Fire)

Science

• MODIS Active Fire and Burned Area products
• MODIS Fire and Thermal Anomalies
• VIIRS Fire and Thermal Anomalies

Other regional fire applications may provide users with additional value-added products.  These include:

• Comisión nacional para el conocimiento y uso de la biodiversidad (CONABIO)
• Instituto Nacional De Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), Brazil
• European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), Italy
• Digital Earth Australia Hotspots