What Is the Fire Danger Now? Linking Fuel Inventories with Atmospheric Data.

This article cites a study that aims to combine fuel maps, based on data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, with real-time atmospheric data for the creation of a more dynamic index of fire danger. The combination of forest fuel maps with real-time atmospheric data may enable the creation of more dynamic and comprehensive assessments of fire danger. Results indicated that fuel loadings and moisture could be estimated for specific points on a meteorological modeling grid network enabling the one- to two-day prediction of fire danger as well as refined understanding of fire danger across forest ecosystems.