Suomi NPP VIIRS 375m Near Real-Time Active Fire Detection Vector Data

Satellite fire detection data from the Suomi NPP VIIRS instrument provides near real-time monitoring at a 375-meter nominal resolution. This product is designed for improved mapping of small and large fire perimeters, supporting fire management and science applications. The data is distributed by NASA's LANCE FIRMS system in multiple vector formats.

Use Cases

• Near real-time fire alert systems using detection location and confidence attributes.
• Mapping fire perimeters and progression for incident management support.
• Analyzing fire frequency and distribution patterns over time and geography.
• Integrating fire detection points with other geospatial layers for risk assessment.
• Studying relationships between land surface thermal properties and fire activity.

Strengths

• Provides a high 375-meter spatial resolution for improved detection of smaller fires compared to coarser (≥1km) satellite products.
• Offers near real-time (NRT) data delivery, suitable for time-sensitive fire management applications.
• Data is available through multiple platforms (NASA Earthdata, Data.gov), indicating established use and distribution.

Limitations

• The product provides fire detection information only, with no sub-pixel fire characterization due to data saturation issues.
• Complete attribute data is only available in TXT and SHP file formats, not in KML or WMS.
• Key metadata such as row count, size, and specific column names are not provided across any source.

Provenance

Source

NASA LANCE FIRMS, Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data processed into the VNP14IMGTDL_NRT active fire detection product.

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-03-12 20:23:42.531239

Geography

Global coverage from the Suomi NPP satellite's orbit.