ZKI MODIS Fire Service for Europe

The German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) offers an operational service on fire detection from space. Based on data of the NASA owned MODIS sensors on board of the Terra-1 and Aqua-1 satellites, wild and forest fires can be detected.

Users can view, download and automatically receive information on current fires in Europe. The algorithm used for fire detection has been developed at the University of Maryland and is an internationally acknowledged standard.

In Europe, DFD is the only institution operating two X-band antennas enabling it to receive and process observation data from both satellites simultaneously and allowing for up to eight daily observations.

DFD is offering its capability to the European community and its people with the cost free provision of daily hot spot detection.

The software has been developed in close cooperation between Mexico’s National Commission on Biodiversity Research (Conabio) and the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD).

This service will be extended in cooperation with the Portuguese Weather Service and the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (Institute for Environment and Sustainability) own European Forest Fire Information System and is a contribution to the United Nations Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC).