DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15549087
title: Global human exposure to wildland fires dataset: 2002-2021

description: Global human exposure to wildland fires dataset: 2002-2021

 

Seyd Teymoor Seydi1, John T. Abatzoglou2, Matthew W. Jones3, Mojtaba Sadegh1,4

1Department of Civil Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA

2Management of Complex Systems Department, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA

3Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich, UK

4United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Richmond Hills, ON, Canada

 

1.  Dataset Overview

This dataset contains comprehensive information on global fire events from 2002 to 2021, including fire characteristics, environmental variables, land cover properties, and detailed population exposure estimates separated by age group and gender. The data is organized into two separate dataset series:

1.      Fire Events Series (df_Fire_Events_2002 to df_Fire_Events_2021): Contains fire characteristics, environmental variables, land cover properties, and summary exposure information for each fire event. Each file includes global fire events for one year, as indicated in the file name.

2.      Age Groups Series (df_Fire_Age_Groups_2002 to df_Fire_Age_Groups_2021): Contains detailed demographic breakdowns of populations exposed to individual fire events by age group and gender. Each file includes global fire events for one year, as indicated in the file name.

2.  Data Structure

Each annual dataset contains the following information:



Temporal Coverage: Individual years from 2002 to 2021 (20 datasets total x 2 [environmental variables and summary exposure + exposures broken down by age and gender structures])

Spatial Coverage: Global

Unit of Analysis: Individual fire events identified by unique fire_ID

Fire Metrics: Location, size, duration, spread characteristics, active fire days, and fire radiative power

Environmental Variables: Vegetation indices (EVI, NDVI) and land cover fractions

Population Metrics: Total exposure and detailed breakdowns by 5-year age groups and gender

Geographic Context: Country and continent information


Column Definitions

Fire Characteristics



fire_ID: Unique identifier for each fire event

Latitude: Latitude coordinate of fire ignition point (decimal degrees)

Longitude: Longitude coordinate of fire ignition point (decimal degrees)

size: Fire area

perimeter: Fire perimeter length

start_date: Fire start date

duration: Fire duration (days)

spread: Fire spread rate

speed: Fire speed rate

Active_Fire_Days: Number of active fire days in each pixel within fire polygon, averaged for each fire polygon (Source: MOD14A1)

total_frp: Total fire radiative power summed from start to end date of fire, aggregated by sum for each fire polygon (Source: MOD14A1)


3.  Geographic Information



Country: Name of country where fire occurred

Continent: Name of continent where fire occurred


4.  Land Cover Characteristics (Source: MCD12Q1)



Agriculture-Fraction: Fraction of agricultural land cover within fire polygon

Urban-Fraction: Fraction of urban areas within fire polygon


5.  Vegetation Indices (Source: MOD13A1)



EVI: Enhanced Vegetation Index - maximum annual value for each pixel averaged across fire polygon

NDVI: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index - maximum annual value for each pixel averaged across fire polygon


6.  Population Exposure (Source: WorldPop)



Exposure: Total population exposure to fire, aggregated by sum for each individual fire event using contemporary population data for each year

Scenario-Exposure: Total population exposure to fire using constant 2002 population data across all years, with dynamic fire data for each year, aggregated by sum for each individual fire event. This is also referred to as counterfactual exposure.


6.1. Female Population Exposure (SUM_f_*)



SUM_f_0: Number of females aged <1 year exposed to fire

SUM_f_1: Number of females aged ≥1 to <5 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_5: Number of females aged ≥5 to <10 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_10: Number of females aged ≥10 to <15 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_15: Number of females aged ≥15 to <20 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_20: Number of females aged ≥20 to <25 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_25: Number of females aged ≥25 to <30 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_30: Number of females aged ≥30 to <35 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_35: Number of females aged ≥35 to <40 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_40: Number of females aged ≥40 to <45 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_45: Number of females aged ≥45 to <50 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_50: Number of females aged ≥50 to <55 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_55: Number of females aged ≥55 to <60 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_60: Number of females aged ≥60 to <65 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_65: Number of females aged ≥65 to <70 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_70: Number of females aged ≥70 to <75 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_75: Number of females aged ≥75 to <80 years exposed to fire

SUM_f_80: Number of females aged ≥80 years exposed to fire


6.2. Male Population Exposure (SUM_m_*)



SUM_m_0: Number of males aged <1 year exposed to fire

SUM_m_1: Number of males aged ≥1 to <5 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_5: Number of males aged ≥5 to <10 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_10: Number of males aged ≥10 to <15 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_15: Number of males aged ≥15 to <20 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_20: Number of males aged ≥20 to <25 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_25: Number of males aged ≥25 to <30 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_30: Number of males aged ≥30 to <35 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_35: Number of males aged ≥35 to <40 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_40: Number of males aged ≥40 to <45 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_45: Number of males aged ≥45 to <50 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_50: Number of males aged ≥50 to <55 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_55: Number of males aged ≥55 to <60 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_60: Number of males aged ≥60 to <65 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_65: Number of males aged ≥65 to <70 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_70: Number of males aged ≥70 to <75 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_75: Number of males aged ≥75 to <80 years exposed to fire

SUM_m_80: Number of males aged ≥80 years exposed to fire


7.  Data Sources



Population Data: WorldPop Project demographic datasets


o    Source URL: https://hub.worldpop.org/project/categories?id=8

o    Population estimates are provided in 5-year age groups by gender at high spatial resolution



Land Cover Data: MODIS MCD12Q1 Land Cover Type product


o    Used to calculate agricultural and urban land cover fractions within fire polygons



Vegetation Indices: MODIS MOD13A1 Vegetation Indices product


o    Used to derive maximum annual EVI and NDVI values, averaged across fire polygons



Fire Activity Data: MODIS MOD14A1 Thermal Anomalies and Fire Daily product


o    Used to calculate active fire days and total fire radiative power within fire polygons



Fire Data: Global fire atlas is available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11400062


8.  Usage Notes



Exposure Definition: Exposure is defined as population within fire polygon boundaries

Exposure Scenarios:


o    Exposure: Uses contemporary population data for each year, allowing analysis of changing demographics over time

o    Scenario-Exposure: Uses constant 2002 population data across all years to isolate the effect of changing fire patterns while holding population constant



Age Group Structure: Age groups follow standard demographic categories with the first year of life separate (0) and 4-year grouping for ages 1-4, followed by 5-year groupings

Coordinate System: Fire ignition points are provided in decimal degrees

Land Cover Fractions: Agriculture and urban fractions represent the proportion of each land cover type within fire polygon boundaries

Vegetation Indices: EVI and NDVI values represent maximum annual values averaged across the fire polygon area

Fire Activity Metrics:


o    Active Fire Days represents the average number of days with detected thermal anomalies within each fire polygon

o    Total FRP represents the cumulative fire radiative power from fire start to end date, summed across the fire polygon