Combining AVHRR and ATSR satellite sensor data for operational boreal forest fire detection

TLDR

The study examined whether combining AVHRR and ATSR satellite data could enhance real‑time fire detection sensitivity and image acquisition frequency for fire control. An automated detection algorithm processed all dual‑satellite scenes, and detected fires were immediately faxed to local authorities, with the ATSR’s finer resolution and response data used to assess alert accuracy and false‑alarm rates. The system achieved an average 25‑minute delay from AVHRR acquisition to fax, detected twice as many fires per unit area with ATSR during April 2000, and reported false‑alarm rates of 12 % in 1999 and 7 % in 2000.

Abstract

The potential to combine data from two different satellite systems was studied to increase fire detection sensitivity and image acquisition frequency in real-time fire detection and fire control. A fully automatic fire detection algorithm was applied to all scenes that were acquired using both satellite systems. Local fire authorities were notified about each detected fire in their territory using real-time fire reports that were sent by telefax. The average time from the start of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) image acquisition until the sending of a telefax fire report was 25 min. During the straw-burning season in April 2000, the Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) instrument detected twice as many fires as the AVHRR per unit image area. The main reason for this may be the average resolution cell of the ATSR, which is half the size of that of the AVHRR in terms of area. The response from fire authorities was used to estimate the number of correct alerts and false alarms. A false alarm rate of 12% and 7% was obtained in the fire seasons of 1999 and 2000, respectively.