Figure 1 is an example of an image showing forest fires across Canada detected by the NOAA-14 satellite on June 25, 1995. Zoom-in images are available for the three regions indicated. Data from the 1995 yearly fire mask were compared to data obtained by two Canadian fire detection agencies. The blue outlines indicates the boundaries of the burnt areas as observed by fire agencies using conventional means of monitoring. It can be seen that the satellite-based technique does a better job, detecting more fires than the traditional method at much less cost.
Satellite monitoring can also provide information on the evolution of fires as they develop.
Fire evolution for 1995 in the Northwest Territories is displayed in Figure 4 . Each colour represents a 10 day period of active fire in that location. In-situ and remote observations , Journal of Geophysical Research . Conventional Methods Figure 4.