About LANDFIRE ›› Background

Decades of land use, fire exclusion, exotic species invasions, and (to some extent) climate change have altered fire regimes, fuel characteristics, and landscape composition, structure, and function. As a result, the number, size, and severity of wildfires have changed significantly from those of historical conditions – sometimes with catastrophic consequences.

In response to these changing conditions, the President directed the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to recommend how best to respond to severe wildland fires, reduce the impacts of fire on rural communities, and ensure sufficient firefighting capacity in the future. Congress, in turn, mandated the implementation of the National Fire Plan, a long-term investment that protects communities and natural resources as well as fire fighters and the public. The National Fire Plan advocates a new approach to wildfires by shifting emphasis from reactive to proactive - from attempting to suppress wildland fires to reducing the buildup of hazardous vegetation that contributes to severe fires.

The objective of the LANDFIRE Project is to provide the spatial data needed to support the National Fire Plan and to accurately identify lands or communities with hazardous fuel build-up or extreme departure from historical conditions. LANDFIRE data products also facilitate the prioritization of ecosystem restoration and hazardous fuel reduction treatments to protect ecosystems, property, and people. Moreover, these products may be used during specific wildland fire incidents to maximize firefighter safety, pre-position resources, and evaluate wildland fire behavior under a variety of fire weather conditions.