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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsBuild a satellite wildfire alert workflow to flag and prioritize possible fires—not to declare a wildfire or determine that a place is safe. NASA FIRMS distributes MODIS and VIIRS active-fire and thermal-anomaly data globally, generally within three hours of observation; its service describes real-time availability for US and Canada detections. Use those detections as monitoring and triage inputs, then route consequential reports to a human reviewer and relevant local authorities.
What a satellite alert can—and cannot—tell you
A satellite active-fire point indicates a thermal anomaly detected by a sensor. It does not establish that the cause is a wildfire, identify an exact fire perimeter, or prove that an area without a point is fire-free. Detections can arise from wildfires, other fires, hot smoke, agriculture, or other heat sources. A pixel represents the sensor’s footprint, not a square that is necessarily burning. NASA FIRMS explicitly warns: “Do not use for the preservation of life or property. Satellite-derived active fire / thermal anomalies have limited accuracy.” NASA FIRMS map and disclaimer
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Cloud, heavy smoke, tree canopy, and the time between satellite overpasses can hide or miss a fire. Treat both a detection and the absence of one as incomplete evidence; NASA lists these limitations in its Fire Alert Notes.
Choose feeds for the response you need
Compare candidate feeds by spatial resolution, observation frequency, distribution latency, geographic coverage, confidence-field meaning, and processing maturity. FIRMS provides access to active-fire information through alerts, maps, and data services. Check its service overview for current options and access details.
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| Feed | Spatial detail | Timing and maturity | Useful for |
|---|---|---|---|
| MODIS | Approximately 1 km sensor resolution, according to NASA LANCE FIRMS. | Global near-real-time FIRMS distribution is generally within three hours of observation. The MODIS product description states a 1–30 minute ultra/real-time latency range for the US and Canada; these are published service descriptions, not an end-to-end delivery guarantee. | A broad active-fire monitoring feed. Interpret the confidence field cautiously; it is experimental and should not be treated as a universal probability. |
| VIIRS | 375 m active-fire product resolution, according to NASA VIIRS Land Products. VIIRS is more responsive to smaller fires than approximately 1 km products. | FIRMS global near-real-time timing generally applies; verify regional real-time product availability in the current service. | Finer-scale candidate detections. Pixel size is not a precise fire boundary. |
| Geostationary active-fire data | Substantially coarser than MODIS and VIIRS; exact resolution depends on the product. | More frequent, sub-hourly repeat sampling can help track emerging signals. FIRMS describes GOES-West detections as provisional/beta, so they can include false detections. | Situations where repeat observations are valuable, provided the workflow accounts for coarse detail and provisional status. |
Sources: NASA’s MODIS product description, VIIRS active-fire products, GOES-West product description, and NASA Earthdata’s geostationary FIRMS overview (2024-06-25).
Build the workflow in seven steps
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Set the operating boundary and purpose
Define the area of interest, coverage hours, recipients, and the person or team authorized to review and escalate a report. Keep the purpose to awareness, monitoring, and triage. Do not use satellite-derived detections as a safety determination or as the basis for preserving life or property.
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Select data sources
Start with NASA FIRMS MODIS and VIIRS active-fire products. For global operations, plan for the generally stated near-real-time distribution window of within three hours of observation. In the US and Canada, check the available real-time products and their documented latency. Add a geostationary source if repeat sampling matters, while accounting for coarser resolution and provisional detections.
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Ingest records with their context intact
Use an available FIRMS alert subscription or machine-readable/download service. For each record, preserve the observation or acquisition time in UTC, coordinates, sensor and platform, confidence field when available, product or processing version, source identifier, and your own ingestion timestamp. NASA’s 2025 FIRMS Q&A discusses data access and formats; product documentation describes fields such as acquisition time and version.
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Normalize, deduplicate, and cluster
Convert timestamps and coordinates to consistent formats. Deduplicate repeated records and group nearby observations within a defined time window so a continuing signal does not create a flood of notifications. Choose the distance and time window for your geography, sensor mix, and response capacity: NASA documents the detection products and their metadata, but does not prescribe a universal clustering radius or interval.
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Rank candidate alerts using several signals
Prioritize using a combination of sensor, confidence field, viewing geometry, persistence across observations, proximity to people or assets, and independent weather, fire-agency, or field information. Do not read a MODIS confidence percentage as a universal chance that a fire is real: NASA says it derives from algorithm intermediates and cautions that its meaning can vary by region. See the MODIS product description and FIRMS caveats.
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Route alerts with explicit status and ownership
Give each case a clear status, such as “satellite detection,” “under review,” “corroborated,” or “closed/false positive.” Include the observation time and source, assign a reviewer, and record what evidence supported the decision. For reports with potential consequences, route them to an accountable human and the relevant local authority rather than treating an automated message as confirmation.
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Validate and tune against local outcomes
Compare detections and non-detections with verified incident records. Document false alerts and missed fires, then revise thresholds by sensor and local context. This is important because the products have known missed-detection conditions and false-positive caveats; a confidence field alone does not establish universal accuracy.
Design alerts that help a person act
A useful alert makes its uncertainty visible and gives the reviewer enough information to check the signal. Include the sensor/platform, observation time in UTC, coordinates, product, available confidence information, ingestion time, and a link or reference to the original source record. Separate observation time from receipt time so reviewers can see how old a detection is when it reaches them.
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- Label an unverified item “satellite detection” or “thermal anomaly,” not “confirmed wildfire.”
- State the sensor and pixel resolution so recipients do not mistake a detection footprint for a fire perimeter.
- Show whether other observations persist or corroborate the signal, without implying that repeat detections prove a wildfire.
- Provide a route for review, escalation, and outcome recording instead of sending an unowned notification.
These are workflow design choices, not features guaranteed by FIRMS. NASA describes FIRMS data access and product metadata; the workflow’s alert statuses, ownership, clustering, and escalation rules are yours to define.
Know when to escalate beyond satellite data
Escalate a candidate signal for human review when it persists, appears near people or assets, or aligns with independent reports or relevant local information. For decisions affecting safety or property, use local emergency or fire authorities and corroborating sources; a satellite point alone cannot confirm an incident or establish safe conditions. NASA’s Applied Sciences fires page provides broader context on NASA’s wildfire-related data and applications.
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