Fire Map Questions

Last night this graphic showed up on the national news

But of large incidents, this is what we get from NIFC.. here.

Could the difference be that the news story showed all fires, and the other only large fires? But then where on the NIFC website is the “all-fire” map? (Note that the source of that news graphic is also NIFC). Perhaps one of our readers can help?

You can see why a person in central Colorado would be curious about this…

4 thoughts on “Fire Map Questions”

  1. Not sure of the current qualification, but previously a fire had to be over 200 acres and being managed for suppression to be on NIFC, and being actively reported, also often times state agencies don’t report to NIFC. They do list total acres in their summary and this usually includes all reported fires regardless of classification.
    Interestingly enough, if a person were to take an overlay of the NFS and put over the map, it would be disturbing. Curiously Non-NFS land doesn’t seem to be so effected, even though much of it is forested.
    On a side note Eugene, OR managed to peg out the air quality meter yesterday and the smoke was not as thick as further down the I-5 corridor towards Roseburg. (I’m sure EPA will be raising the scale now)

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  2. Very different impression from the two maps! Interesting that the source for the TV map is NIFC – but the locations on the TV map are not very accurate – especially for the Chetco Bar fire, which I believe is still the largest fire in the US right now. I almost wonder if the TV map is showing all of the 2017 fires? There were several fires in NM/AZ earlier this summer, and with the number of fires in the SW on the TV map, that makes me think the TV map has all of the 2017 fires. There are several “complex” fires in Oregon right now, each with several fires in them, and I am also wondering if the TV map is showing each individual fire and not a consolidated flame icon for a complex, which could also make the TV map look different.

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