High-resolution forest fire weather index computations using satellite remote sensing

Wildfires are important in regions dominated by forest, such as found in large parts of Canada. The principal objective of this study was to provide homogeneously distributed indices for the Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) System. The FWI was calculated using four sets of input variables: meteorological station measurements (OBS); weather forecast model output (SIM); meteorological station measurements and remote sensing estimations combined (SAT1); and weather forecast model output and remote sensing estimations combined (SAT2). Remote sensing parameterization of air temperature and relative humidity was performed. The air temperature and relative humidity reproduced showed good agreement with ground-based measurements (R-2 = 0.77 and SE = 1.48degreesC; R-2 = 0.73 and SE = 5%, respectively). For the FWI regionalized using this requirement, category SAT1 showed the best fit. Category SAT2 produced more precise results (0.09 to 2.19% of the normalized root mean square error) versus SIM.