Burn Severity Assessment of the 2021 Horne Fire at Isle Royale National Park

The 2021 Horne Fire on Isle Royale National Park (ISRO) ignited when lightning struck the island near Duncan Bay on August 10, 2021, during elevated drought conditions. Per the National Park Service, it would continue to burn slowly and spread until a wind event on August 21, 2021 caused significant spread and initiated a control effort to protect historical structures in Tobin Harbor. The fire was 75% contained by September 6, 2021, and allowed to smolder until winter rain and snow finally extinguished the fire. The Horne Fire became the third-largest wildfire in the park’s history, necessitating a detailed assessment of landscape responses to spatial variability in burn severity. These data were created by comparing high-resolution imagery from pre- and post-fire conditions to delineate land cover into burn severity classifications. Such analysis aims to inform management strategies in the aftermath of large-scale wildfires.