Technology

‘Hot Spots’: More Than a Decade of Major U.S. Fires on One Map

From the same visual data aficionado that brought us the U.S. map with 56 years of tornado tracks illustrated in neon and 114 years of earthquake epicenters comes his latest installment: major fires.

Although the data doesn’t span as long of a timeframe compared to the previous maps created by John Nelson on the blog IDV User Experience, the map shows the last 11 years of major fires within the country.

Map Shows Major Fires Detected by Satellite in the United States Since 2001

Major fires in the U.S. since 2001. (Image: John Nelson/IDV User Experience)

According to the blog, it’s not just the image that you may find interesting but the technology that allowed him to pick up such data. Nelson describes it as a “sweet sweet machine orbiting the earth soaking up it’s emitted photons at various wavelengths.” It is able to sense thermal anomalies.

Here’s more from Nelson on how the map was created and his analysis of it:

[...] each dot represents a moment of pretty extreme heat, down to the one square kilometer level (I only retained fires greater than 100KW and of those only fires that the system was more than 50% confident of).  They’ve been colored and scaled by “units” of the typical American nuclear power plant’s summertime capacity to provide some sort of baseline of the fires’ magnitude.

There are a couple temporal charts in there, too.  The seasonal curve I would expect, but the overall upwards trend was interesting (and 2012 is only half through).  Is it related to a lag-offset El Niño or La Niña effect?

It’s almost like the universe balancing itself out, considering the general density of historical tornadoes.  Except poor Florida gets a heaping pile of both.  Can there be a fire tornado?  If so, look out, Tampa.  Also, what’s cooking in the south Mississippi basin?

See the map at varying sizes here. Check out more from Nelson on the IDV User Experience blog here.

Comments (34)

  • eagle275
    Posted on August 22, 2012 at 12:32am

    Komrade BHO has destroyed this type of fire fighting infrastructure. The only company in the US that made the MAFFS used by the Air National Guard and other companies, like the North Carolina Air Guard C-130 that recently went down in South Dakota, funding was cut and the only company that makes these MAFFS units and parts is now closed down due to budget cuts, from BHO. Head Start is more important than saving towns and homes. BTW, all that underbrush that has grown back? No money to take care of it, and people wonder why the fires are so bad? It’s not global warming, it’s the neglect of Komrade Obama.

    No new parts for wildfire-fighting system used on C-130s
    Aero Union’s demise has experts worried

    http://www.reporternews.com/news/2012/jul/07/no-new-parts-for-wildfire-fighting-system-used-c/

    By Mead Gruver Associated Press
    Posted July 7, 2012 at 3 a.m.
    .

    CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The demise of the only company that manufactured a device specially designed to spray fire retardant from the back of U.S. military C-130 cargo planes has some experts worried about the future viability of a program that has helped fight wildfires for 40 years.

    The Modular Airborne Firefighting System is a bus-sized device that can be shoved into the belly of a cargo plane and then used to spray retardant, or slurry, at 3,000 gallons in less than 5 seconds. The $4.9 million device’s only manufacturer, Sacramento, Calif.-based Aero Union, went out of business in August, and no

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  • Warpath18
    Posted on July 16, 2012 at 7:49am

    This is just another exampl of why I think Ohio has the least impactful “severe” weather in the country. Hurricanes, no. Wild fires, no. Sure, we get some snow, some tornadoes, etc etc etc…but we really have the mildest weather in the country in my opinion. Worse thing about SW Ohio? Allergies!

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  • tajloc
    Posted on July 15, 2012 at 9:31am

    A big one is coming in my home state of Colorado. You should see the beetle kill on the tunnel approaches of I-70. They won’t let us push roads into these ares to log it. I suspect the treehuggers would light it if we did. Still maybe we could get some fed bucks if it went. then we could be prosperous like the N.E. U.S.
    Imagine what our situation would be like w/o the fed influence. Those huge pines could be used to bring down the price of plywood for use when the big hurricane comes (80 mile winds are a joke).
    Lets not turn to the feds for anything. Many of us have been successful in taking back fee areas. Pay attention to the West.
    oh and Rom 8:28

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  • Kemosabe-1
    Posted on July 13, 2012 at 10:57pm

    Woopie, the South is on fire more than the North. Tradition carried on by example of General Sherman in Georgia during the Cival War?.

    Report Post » Kemosabe-1  
  • Git-R-Done
    Posted on July 13, 2012 at 4:19pm

    We can thank the eco-Nazis for the wildfires being more dangerous since they destroyed the timber industry in this country and now we get more of our timber products from third world countries.

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  • blackyb
    Posted on July 13, 2012 at 4:00pm

    The illegals and terrorists are trying to destroy this country in in means they can. It would not be a far reach to think this has something do do with all this burning.

    Report Post » blackyb  
    • Hrothgar
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 11:51pm

      What the hell does your comment have to do with this story?

      Report Post » Hrothgar  
  • blackyb
    Posted on July 13, 2012 at 3:59pm

    Most of the environmentalists are too lazy to work a real job. In many cases their parents are rich and so they just run around finding causes to travel for to look important or make their parents think they are doing something so they will not lose their trust funds.

    Report Post » blackyb  
  • AIDANMAN
    Posted on July 13, 2012 at 3:03pm

    you know global warming occurs every day… from sun up to sunset… then it is known as “climate change” or “global cooling”.. which ever fits the story line.

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  • Landon410
    Posted on July 13, 2012 at 1:40pm

    you guys really like to map things……

    Report Post »  
  • bikerr
    Posted on July 13, 2012 at 1:11pm

    —down to the one square kilometer level —–They should stop using the metric system to explain the numbers.

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    • phillyatheist
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 1:21pm

      you know what, i’m not good with the metric system, but i find it interesting that every other country in the world uses it (except Liberia and Burma). our system is archaic and stupid, but it’s what i know.

      Report Post » phillyatheist  
    • Mr. H.
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 1:54pm

      The metric system, most fortunately, is a math base 10 system. It was taught in math and science classes in high school. It makes a whole lot more sense than the multiply based English system of measurements. I have absolutely no problem with the metric system and I have learned to “guesstamate” conversions betwixt and between them. It’s good for the brain.

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    • tajloc
      Posted on July 15, 2012 at 9:17am

      Ahh… The old metric vs English system debate. How about the 12 hour repeating system w/o zero that we all use with no trouble called TIME. Doh!
      You know 5 out of 4 people can’t do fractions.

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  • Deckle
    Posted on July 13, 2012 at 12:50pm

    Do you think this may have anything to do with global warming and the many volcanos we have had recently? I almost majored in physics and would be willing to bet that this was more associated with global warming than anything man could do. I would bet on the heating of the interior of the earth that creates the volcanos. I believe that the earth beneath Yellowstone National park has been rising as the heat beneath it which causes the hot springs and geysers. Man is but a minute part of this so to tax man to stop it has to be the dumbest idea ever in the history of the planet! I guess next to building the tower of Babel it is right up there with stupid! Of course “Pride” could have nothing to do with the liberal left thinking it is “Man” causing all this!

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    • Baddoggy
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 2:41pm

      Enviromentalist got your brain and twisted it…

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • blackyb
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 4:05pm

      This global warming is a diversion to keep people’s mind from the Truth. It is a ploy to pass leftist agendas and keep bit by bit enslaving the people by introducing more laws until people have no way to even share ideas, stay warm, stay cool, have enough to eat and have to depend upon the government to feel free to burp.

      Report Post » blackyb  
  • Baddoggy
    Posted on July 13, 2012 at 12:39pm

    Here is what the enviromental dumba@@es don’t realize. God put trees on earth for man to use. You are supposed to cut them down and use them, not save them. If you don’t God takes them away…along with your house you built out there in the woods to worship those same trees.

    Tree huggers are STUPID people! They are wicked beyond belief. I hope the mercury in those f’img lightbulbs they peddle kills them off….They deserve to die.

    Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • phillyatheist
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 1:12pm

      “They deserve to die.”

      i better never hear you claim moral authority ever again. you’ve failed as a human being. i don’t think you could be less Christian if you tried.

      Report Post » phillyatheist  
    • bikerr
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 1:22pm

      @phillyatheist—Who gives a rat’s arse what you think?. Baddoggy’s right—It’s them or us. How’s that for keeping U.S.A. free!

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    • phillyatheist
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 1:40pm

      “It’s them or us.”

      what does that even mean?

      as for your claim that he’s right – you‘re saying that he’s right that Environmentalists deserve to die? i thought the Bible says something about judging lest you be judged. isn’t it up to your God to decide the fate of humans?

      BIKERR, you must be either very stupid or very sick. either way, i don’t enjoy playing with people of either persuasion, so goodbye.

      Report Post » phillyatheist  
    • Larry E
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 1:52pm

      We recently had a 250k acre fire near where I live that would likely not have gotten as large if the precious “environmentalists” hadn’t protested EVERY attempt to log some of the area as a fuel reduction effort. The environmentalists seem to want to have things like they were maybe 500 or 600 years ago, BUT they want to enjoy all the modern conveniences along with it. Maybe THEY should be given the job of fighting fires like the one I mentioned so that they can see the error in their ways. It likely wouldn‘t work though since most of them just KNOW what’s right and don’t worry about the little things like facts. Hmmm Phillyatheist?

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    • phillyatheist
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 2:06pm

      LARRY – “likely not have gotten as large if the precious “environmentalists” hadn’t protested EVERY attempt to log some of the area as a fuel reduction effort.”

      are you an expert on forest fires? your use of a word like “likely” don’t prove anything. it’s speculation on your part.

      anyway, i was simply attacking these vicious messages – i don’t really care that much about forest fires. i live in the northeast where, as you can see on the map, we don’t have a problem with fires.

      Report Post » phillyatheist  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 2:40pm

      If you are killing people, you deserve to die…an eye for an eye…

      BTW…Judge not lest ye be judged is the most misquoted scripture in the Bible. It is used mostly by UNBELIEVERS and people who do not know the Bible. You evidently do NOT know the Bible…If you did, you would not use that scripture as it does not mean anything like you think it does. God says to judge ALL things….But you aren’t very smart I know and you think killing people with enviromental laws is OK…FOOL!

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • Dont-hate-on-me-2
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 3:53pm

      I agree with baDDoggy. They want to use toxic light bubles let them. What happens when you introduce toxics to the human body. Hey it gets sick or it dies. There is no moral high ground here its pretty simple. normal ppl try not to drink posion. Its the lefts job to do that.

      Report Post » Dont-hate-on-me-2  
    • blackyb
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 4:03pm

      Who cares if you are an atheist? It is you who is going to fry when you die. You want to be cool? Well it would seem hell is not the place to do it and there will not be a party with your friends and teachers/professors when you are all there. You think having your friends with you will help. They will be biting your flesh for the stupid way you have helped lead them. Just because you do not want to think there is a God, does not alter the fact one bit that you will go to hell when you die. You might better reconsider your priorities in this life.

      Report Post » blackyb  
  • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
    Posted on July 13, 2012 at 12:31pm

    Most of the fires happen in Red States, go figure.

    Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
    • lukerw
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 12:40pm

      I find the sense… of lines… interesting!

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • Blazebanned
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 12:53pm

      My thoughts as well…..

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    • phillyatheist
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 1:13pm

      to be fair there are a lot of fires in California.

      still, soon enough Global Warming will be impossible to deny, especially in the Red states. ironically, it’ll feel like Hell on Earth.

      Report Post » phillyatheist  
    • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 2:56pm

      @Philly
      But the fires only happen in the Conservative section of california.

      Maybe the liberals are setting the fires?

      Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
    • Git-R-Done
      Posted on July 13, 2012 at 8:30pm

      Phillyatheist lectures us on how stupid we are to believe in God yet he’s stupid enough to believe in global warming, which has been debunked.

      Treehuggers such as Philly, who live in big cities, don’t care if they destroy the timber, agricultural, fishing, oil or other industries that the eco-Nazis don’t like. Which means that people lose jobs and we have to import all of those goods and services from other countries instead of making them here in the US.

      Report Post »  

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