A high spatial resolution daily fire perimeter progression dataset for wildfires in the Western United States: 2020–2024
| Authors: | Shayne Magstadt, Rahul Wadhwani, Matthew A. Whitley, Timothy J. Martin, Eleanor Sitter, Yu Wei, Christopher D. O'Connor |
| Year: | 2026 |
| Type: | Scientific Journal |
| Station: | Rocky Mountain Research Station |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-07695-1 |
| Source: | Scientific Data |
Abstract
The dataset is a spatially and temporally organized curated subset of National Infrared Operations Program real-time high-resolution fire perimeter acquisitions for the Western United States from 2020 to 2024. The U.S. Forest Service’s National Infrared Operations is an ordered resource that flies only when requested and prioritized, and which tracks and documents wildfire progression over time. Through a structured data retrieval, consolidation, and metadata curation process, the dataset organizes fire perimeters and associated attributes to facilitate the temporal and spatial reconstruction of fire progression. The resulting shapefile integrates multiple data sources, ensuring spatial standardization to improve interoperability. This resource may be applied in various fields, including fire behavior modeling, fire risk analysis, ecological impact assessment, and resource management. It offers a transparent, replicable workflow and encourages reuse by providing supporting code, enabling researchers, land managers, and policymakers to incorporate these fire perimeters into broader analyses and decision-making processes.