Where Are the Fires Burning in Southern California

This map is an independent community effort developed to provide a general awareness of wildfire activity. UCANR is sharing this map solely as a reference, and is not responsible for the content or interpretation of the map.  If you are near a fire or feel that you are at risk, please contact your local authorities for information and updates.

Disclaimer: This is not an evacuation map. For evacuation information, check your local law enforcement agency website or call them directly. If your local agency provides a map with any of this information - use their map!

Active Fire Data

There are two major types of current fire information: fire perimeter and hot spot data:

• Fire perimeter data are generally collected by a combination of aerial sensors and on-the-ground information. These data are used to make highly accurate perimeter maps for firefighters and other emergency personnel, but are generally updated only once every 12 hours.
• "Hot spot" data uses satellite detection to identify areas of high temperature. VIIRS and MODIS thermal activity data is not as accurate as fire perimeter data (it is collected on a 1km scale), but it is updated twice daily.

In addition to fire, it is important to stay informed about wind conditions and air quality:

• Wind patterns can help you understand the potential for growth and direction that a fire may move. Windy.com has an easy to read map of wind direction and strength to help keep track of wind patterns.
• Air Quality can impact health, especially with children. AirNow has information on current air quality conditions, including smoke plume maps.

While these maps are quick and convenient, it is also important to watch for more timely and detailed information from your local state and county office.  Information for state responsibility incidents (usually over a certain size) will be posted on the Statewide Fire Information website. Federally responsible incident information are available on the National Wildfire Coordinating Group's Inciweb site.

Apps and Social Media

For the best source of up to date information about evacuations and road closures, seek out your local county and city government resources. These sites will often have other information, including PDF maps, evacuation information, and road closures.

Smartphone apps can also provide helpful information about real time conditions.

Disclaimer: This following is not an exhaustive list nor does it constitute an endorsement.

• Breezometer (Android) (ios), Provides air quality information.
• Twitter (Android) (ios), Note that unless it comes directly from a government agency's site, the information may not be entirely accurate. Search for accounts from your local media outlets, fire agencies, and government agencies.

We hope this information can be of use, and that everyone stays safe during this terrifying and tragic time. Thank you to those who are fighting these fires and providing these resources so we can know what is going on.

Learn more about this map

This map is powered by NAPSG, GISCorps, and CEDR Digital volunteers to increase situational awareness for the public, first responders, and emergency management agencies. It DOES NOT replace authoritative information, but may help fill a critical gap early on in a fire incident.

The fire activity data displayed are from government data sources, not the map author.  Please contact admin@publicsafetygis.org for more information.

1. Both MODIS and fire perimeter data can be found on the GEOMAC Wildland Fire Support Tool (click the "Data Layers" tab and check the box for MODIS Fire Detection).
2. GEOMAC also includes two other satellite data sources, VIIRS and HMS. More information on these can be found here and here.

Where Are the Fires Burning in Southern California

Source: https://ucanr.edu/sites/fire/Safety/Current/

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