New agreement expands satellite use for early wildfire detection
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News from the Dept. of the Interior
WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Forest Service have signed an agreement with the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to use the NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite — R series (GOES-R) data to rapidly detect and report wildfire starts.
The new agreement allows for advanced remote sensing capabilities to improve the speed and accuracy of wildfire detection as well as the ability to track wildfire progression in real time. GOES-R series satellites are frequently capable of detecting wildfires before they are spotted on the ground or reported to 911. The satellites can also be used to pinpoint the exact location of a fire after smoke reports occur. These improved capabilities will support interagency efforts to protect people and communities from increasingly devastating wildfires.
