Fire growth and associated weather data for selected Fires of Unusual Size (FOUS) and other fires from 2004-2018

This data publication contains fire records and meteorological data that were collected to examine the differences in daily weather and fire growth during fires of unusual size (FOUS) compared to smaller fires. Fire information was collected from the National Infrared Operations (NIROPS) program, reconciled with collected progression maps, ICS-209 reports, and daily GIS shapefiles for each fire, to try to provide a complete picture of fire progression. Weather measures include temperature, humidity, wind speed, and weather-based indexes such as Fosberg Fire Weather Index (FFWI), Hot-Dry-Windy, Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI), etc. Fire and weather data from July 2004 to September 2018 are provided for various locations in the western United States. Data were obtained from 24 different FOUS as well as 24 other smaller, large fires (LFs) that were considered pair members because they were chosen as geographically close as possible to each individual FOUS. Also included are all notes taken during reconciliation of fire data.
Extremely large wildfires, informally called “megafires,” are of scientific interest and concern for fire management, public safety planning, and smoke related public health management. There is a need to predict them on time scales from days to decades. Understanding is limited, however, of the role of daily weather in determining their extreme size. These data were collected as part of a study to examine differences in the daily weather during these and other smaller fires, and in the two sets of fires’ responses to daily weather and antecedent atmospheric dryness. The results of the study could help improve planning for these types of events both in the short term and in terms of climate impacts on fire.
For more information about this study and these data, see Potter and McEnvoy (2021).