The Advanced Fire Information System (AFIS) is a satellite-based fire information tool that provides near real time fire information to users across the globe.
This system provides fire managers across the globe with a unique tool to better manage the risk of wildfires close to high value infrastructure and property such as transmission grids or forest plantations. AFIS provides users with fire prediction, detection, monitoring, alerting, planning and reporting capabilities through the use of Earth observation satellites, weather forecast models and Information and Communication Technologies.
The AFIS web viewer is an online GIS system that integrates dynamic fire information with baseline localised data sets to help with planning and the analysis of current and historical fire patterns. The next version of the web viewer will also allow users to upload their data layers via WMS.
Visit our Web Viewer...
The AFIS mobile application has been developed to assist fire managers with fire prediction, detection and historical information based on a current location or any defined area of interest. It also includes weather forecasts and vegetation conditions. The application is available for iOS and Android phones and can be downloaded from the app stores.
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The AFIS alert platform is a state of the art multi-dimensional alert messaging system with a build in GIS capability to allow for the dissemination of various types of alert messages. The alert platform not only allows for basic alerts protocols, The Advance Fire Information System (AFIS) is an integrated ICT solution developed by the CSIR to provide operational near real time information for the prevention, detection, monitoring and assessment of wildfire as a risk on a local, regional and global scale but allow users to receive messages based on rule based algorithms. An example of such an alert is; Send an SMS alert when a fire is detected within a regions of interest but only when the Fire Danger Forecast for that area is above the category “medium danger”.
The AFIS Statistics data portal provides burned area estimates for any administrative boundary or pre-defined area of interest. The statistics are provided in hectares per month for the MODIS merged burned area product (500m) as well as the Landsat 8 burned area product (30m). All statistics are automatically calculated and updated within the data portal.
The Fire Dashboard has been developed for a control centre environment where operators can setup, integrate and visualise various data sources for a specific are of interest. The dashboard consists of widgets that represent various components such as a dynamic table, Fire Danger forecasts and animated satellite imagery.
The CSIR, under its Advanced Fire Information Service (AFIS)
Wildfire Information and Data Relationship (WIDR) programme,
provides the following data and information services:
• 24/7 near-realtime (NRT) wildfire detection and alerting
using direct broadcast satellite feeds from four satellites:
Terra, Aqua, SNPP and NOAA-20
• Global wildfire data received from NASA, ESA and EUMETSAT
• 5 day fire weather (Fire Weather Index and Lowveld Fire Danger Index)
forecast for predefined points of interest as well as ad-hoc location queries
• Automated post-incident burned area mapping at 30m resolution
• Automated fire spread simulation
These resources enable the CSIR to produce various wildfire
related information of specific quality and scale.
• X-band Direct Broadcast reception antenna
• X-band demodulator
• Direct Broadcast Near-realtime wildfire processing software
and server infrastructure
• Geographical Data distribution system for the WIDR programme
• Automated burned area processing algorithms
• Fire spread simulation algorithms using localized fuel models
Contact Person: Riaan van den Dool
E-Mail: rvddool@csir.co.za
Telephone Number: +27(0)21 888 2603
Follow us on Twitter: @csir_afis