GOFC/GOLD (Global Observations of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics) is a project of the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) program, which is sponsored by the Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS). The main goal of GOFC/GOLD is to provide a forum for international information exchange, observation and data coordination, and a framework for establishing the necessary long-term monitoring systems.

The principal role of GOFC/GOLD is to act as a coordinating mechanism for national and regional activities. To achieve its goals GOFC/GOLD has developed a number of regional networks of data providers, data brokers and data users. These networks of resource managers and scientists provide the key to sustained capability for improving the observing systems and ensuring that the data are being used effectively.

The MODIS fire and thermal anomalies products contain information unique to understanding the timing and spatial distribution of fires and characteristics such as the energy emitted from the fire and is available for both day and night periods. Temporal composites include an eight-day and monthly day and night fire occurrence aggregation and a summary of the number of fires in classes related to the strength of the fire. The MODIS Standard Fire products will provide an important contribution to the NASA Land Use and Land Cover Program and the International Global Observation of Forest Cover (GOFC) Project.

The Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) is an activity of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR). The GFMC provides a global portal for wildland fire documentation, information and monitoring and is publicly accessible through the Internet. The regularly updated national to global wildland fire products of the GFMC are generated by a worldwide network of cooperating institutions.

The primary goal of the Global EWS Project is to develop a globally consistent suite of fire danger and early warning products to support international collaboration and reduce wildfire disaster. Another goal is to make fire danger and early warning information widely available to all countries through open access. As well, the Global EWS Project actively supports projects to assist countries with limited fire management capacity in the local use and application of fire danger and early warning information.

The experimental Wildfire Automated Biomass Burning Algorithm (WFABBA) is currently generating half-hourly fire data for the Western Hemisphere. The geostationary NOAA weather satellite GOES-12 provides coverage for North and South America while GOES-11 covers North America only. The WFABBA is an extension of the ABBA.

EFFIS provides information on the current fire season in Europe and in the Mediterranean area. This includes today meteorological fire danger maps and forecast up to 6 days, daily updated satellite images of the last 7 days, maps of the latest hot spots and fire perimeters also updated daily.

The Fire Sciences Lab (FiSL), an arm of the Rocky Mountain Research Station located in Missoula, MT, is home to the Fire Behavior Project, Fire Chemistry Project, Fire Ecology/Fuels Project and LANDFIRE.

Cooperating Agencies at NIFC are Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS), National Park Service (NPS), US Forest Service (USFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Aircraft Services (OAS), National Association of State Foresters (NASF) and the US Fire Administration (USFA).

The Forest Service’s Remote Sensing Applications Center (RSAC) is in Salt Lake City, Utah, co-located with the agency’s Geospatial Service and Technology Center. Guided by national steering committees and field sponsors, RSAC provides national assistance to agency field units in applying the most advanced geospatial technology toward improved monitoring and mapping of natural resources. RSAC’s principal goal is to develop and implement less costly ways for the Forest Service to obtain needed forest resource information.

The Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination Group or GeoMAC, is an internet-based mapping application originally designed for fire managers to access online maps of current fire locations and perimeters in the conterminous 48 States and Alaska. Using a standard web browser, fire personnel can view this information to pinpoint the affected areas. With the growing concern of western wildland fires in the summer of 2000, this application has also become available to the public.

The Hazard Mapping System (HMS) is an interactive processing system that allows the trained satellite analysts in the Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB), within the Satellite Services Division (SSD), to manually integrate data from automated fire detection algorithms using GOES and polar (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)) images. The result is a quality controlled display of the locations of fires and significant smoke plumes detected by meteorological satellites.

The Canadian Wildland Fire Information System creates daily fire weather and fire behavior maps year-round and hot spot maps throughout the forest fire season, generally between May and September.

SERVIR is a Regional Vizualisation and Monitoring System that integrates earth observations and forecast models together with in situ data and knowledge for timely decision-making to benefit society.

In response to damaging forest fires in 1998 in Mexico, CONABIO established a program to detect hot spots using remote sensing techniques in Central America using NOAA-AVHRR and MODIS data.

Part of the Ministry of Science and Technology (Ministro da Ciência e Tecnologia) of Brazil, INPE (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais), the National Institute for Space Research, provides fire data from the MODIS, AVHRR and GOES.

Sentinel is a national bushfire monitoring system that provides timely information about hotspots to emergency service managers across Australia. Using MODIS data the mapping system allows users to identify fire locations with a potential risk to communities and property.

The Firewatch map service provides emergency services personnel with an online map application to help in the management of bush fires over Australia. Datasets include fire hotspots from MODIS and NOAA imagery, Landsat and MODIS satellite imagery, burnt area maps since 1997, greenness images updated daily and weekly, lightning data and other useful map layers.

The Advanced fire Information System (AFIS) is the first near real time operational satellite fire monitoring system in Southern Africa using MODIS and MSG data.

Eyes on the Forest is a coalition of three local environmental organizations in Riau, Sumatra, Indonesia: WWF Indonesia’s Tesso Nilo Programme, Jikalahari (“Forest Rescue Network Riau”) and Walhi Riau (“friends of the Earth Indonesia”). It was launched in December 2004 to investigate the state of Riau’s forests and the players who influence it. Eyes on the Forest aims to become a clearinghouse for information on forest conservation in Riau, Sumatra and to serve as a tool for local, national and international NGO’s, companies, governments and any other stakeholders who are willing to take action to conserve forests and protect the rights of the local people who rely on them.

The Forest Fire Control Division is part of the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department of Thailand.

The Indian Forest Fire Response and Assessment System (IFFRAS) is established at National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) as part of the Disaster Management Support Programme of the Department of Space (DOS). INFFRAS integrates multi-sensor satellite data and ground data through spatially and temporally explicit GIS analysis frame work. The INFFRAS is designed to provide services on fire alerts, fire progression, burnt area assessment and forest fire mitigation plans.