New Mexico, a state known for its breathtaking landscapes, unfortunately also faces the persistent threat of wildfires. Keeping informed about these fires is crucial for residents, visitors, and emergency responders alike. Fortunately, the New Mexico Fire Viewer provides an invaluable resource: an easy-to-use web Map Of New Mexico Fires, offering real-time insights into active and historical fire incidents across the state.
The New Mexico Fire Viewer web map interface displaying active wildfire locations and data layers.
Developed by a dedicated GIS Team, this interactive map pulls data from multiple sources, including satellites and various GIS layers, to present a comprehensive overview of wildfire activity. Users can easily search for specific active wildfires by name and instantly view detailed perimeters and hot spots. This information is updated every few hours, directly from satellite infrared imagery, ensuring you have the most current picture available. Initially designed to monitor the Hermit’s Peak and Calf Canyon fires near Las Vegas, NM, the New Mexico Fire Viewer has expanded its scope to include any active fire within the state.
The map offers a wealth of data layers to enhance understanding and situational awareness. These layers include critical information such as land ownership details, soil burn severity maps to assess environmental impact, and building footprint outlines sourced from Microsoft, showing the proximity of structures like houses and barns to fire zones. Furthermore, the map incorporates burn scar data from past fires and vegetation treatment data from the NMFWRI, providing historical context and insights into land management efforts.
Built on the robust ArcGIS Online platform, hosted by New Mexico Highlands University, the New Mexico Fire Viewer is designed for user accessibility and flexibility. Users can customize their view by toggling layers on and off, zooming in for granular detail or out for a broader regional perspective. The hot spot data for active fires is automatically refreshed every four to eight hours, streamed directly from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites. Fire boundary information is updated daily, sourced from the National Interagency Fire Center. Simply refreshing your browser periodically ensures you are viewing the latest available information. To date, this essential resource has been accessed by over 305,000 individuals seeking crucial wildfire information.
The power of the New Mexico Fire Viewer lies in its ability to aggregate and centralize fire data from diverse agencies. By streaming data from sources such as the New Mexico State Forestry Division, various tribes, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), USDA-Forest Service, and the New Mexico State Land Office, the map provides a unified platform. This consolidation allows users to draw meaningful conclusions and gain a holistic understanding of the wildfire situation in New Mexico.
Looking ahead, the NM Fire Viewer remains an active and vital tool for tracking future fires in New Mexico. Access this invaluable web map of new mexico fires directly at: https://arcg.is/TbCy. For those interested in related land management data, the NM Vegetation Treatment Mapping project can be explored at: https://nmfwri.org/gis-projects/nm- vegetation-treatment-mapping/.
