A SIMPLE METHOD FOR FIRE GROWTH MAPPING USING AVHRR CHANNEL-3 DATA

AHVRR Channel 3 data have been used widely for forest fire detection and mapping. However, little attention has been paid to the use of these data for daily fire growth monitoring. A simple method for fire growth mapping using channel 3 data is presented. An 18 000 hectare forest fire affecting the Mediterranean coast of Spain is used as a case study. Discrimination of burned area was performed on every image after multitemporal registration. A thermal threshold was established to mask out fire pixels in both diurnal and nocturnal images. GIS overlay techniques were used to obtain a synthesis map of the daily evolution of the fire. This product can generate valuable input for fire behaviour programmes to improve our understanding of the factors affecting fire spread and fire severity.