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Real-time wildfire updates for California, USA

Get a complete picture of forest fire in California at a glance and make informed decisions to stay ahead of fire-related disasters.

Wildfire API
Real-time Wildfire Map for California
Visualize fires in real time with Ambee’s wildfire map for California
California's forest area coverage
California is known for its diverse landscapes, including its extensive forested areas. California’s forest areas cover a significant portion of the state, with approximately 33% of California's land classified as forests. The forests in California can be categorized into several types, including coniferous forests, mixed-conifer forests, oak woodlands, and chaparral.

Major Forest Regions in California include Sierra Nevada Mountains, Coastal Redwood Forests,  Klamath Mountains, and Southern California Forests, among others.
California Wildfire Maps Platform
Avert disasters to health, environment, and businesses on time using fire map for California
Forest fire history in California
California faces numerous challenges related to its forested areas, including a major wildfire risk. The combination of factors such as climate conditions, vegetation patterns, and human activities has made wildfires a recurring and increasingly concerning issue in California. California experiences a wildfire season that typically spans from late spring to early autumn when hot, dry, and windy conditions prevail. However, in recent years, wildfires have occurred outside of the traditional season, and some parts of the state now face the risk of wildfires throughout the year.

The largest wildfires recorded in California's history include the August Complex Fire in 2020, which burned approximately 1,032,648 acres of land, and the Mendocino Complex Fire in 2018, which burned approximately 459,123 acres.

Parameters that matter for California active fire maps

To help monitor and mitigate the risks posed by wildfires, Ambee’s wildfire maps for California provide users with critical information on the location, intensity, and size, among other parameters. Here’s the list.
Parameters
What it means
lat
Latitude of the place to search
lng
Longitude of the place to search
FRP
Fire radiative power is the energy/intensity emitted by the actively burning fire
FWI
Fire weather index indicates potential fire intensity due to weather conditions, fuel type and soil moisture combined.
cause
Cause of the fire [Optional]
size
Size of the fire [Optional]
burnedArea
Total burned area in acres since the fire started [Optional]
createdAt
The time when the fire was ignited
status
The risk level of fire - Extreme Danger, Very High Danger, High Danger, Moderate Danger, Low Danger, and Very Low Danger.
risk
The risk level of fire - Extreme Danger, Very High Danger, High Danger, Moderate Danger, Low Danger, and Very Low Danger.
type
Type of fire - Reported Fire or Detected Fire
fuelType
The type of fuel that ignited the fire [Optional]
percentageContained
The amount of fire contained in percentage [Optional]
confidence
Provides a confidence levels that the fire detected was an actual fire and not surface reflectance
Low - Low confidence daytime fires that are typically associated with areas of sun glint or water events, and lower relative temperature anomaly less than (15K). These occurrences are predominantly linked to spurious detections although some verifiable fires may be mixed in.

Nominal - Nominal confidence fires are those that are free of potential sun glint contamination during the day, and marked by strong more than 15K temperature anomaly in either day or nighttime data.

High - High confidence fires are associated with day or nighttime saturated events, including nominal saturation. [Optional]
timeFlag
Time of fire occurrence - Day or Night [Optional]
sourceType
Type of satellite we are referring to - modis or viirs [Optional]
detectionTime
Time of event detection [Optional]
ros
rate of spread (ROS) - The rate at which the fire is spreading or getting contained in meters/min [Optional]

Accurate forest fire information at your fingertips

Ambee’s forest fire API provides users with critical information on the location, intensity, size, and potential risks of fires, as well as comprehensive air quality data that can help detect lingering effects such as pockets of toxic air pollution. Forest Fire API is an essential tool for anyone seeking to stay informed and take proactive measures to protect life and property.

The impact of forest fires on California air quality

Forest fires have a significant impact on the Air Quality Index (AQI). Forest fires release large amounts of particulate matter into the air, which can have harmful effects on human health. Forest fires also produce carbon monoxide, which is harmful when inhaled in high concentrations. Forest fires can also release other pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), depending on the composition of the vegetation being burned. These pollutants can further deteriorate air quality and contribute to an increased AQI.
About Ambee App

Protect your loved ones. Get Ambee.

Stay informed about the air quality levels near you in California on the go and take appropriate measures in case of wildfires with the help of Ambee’s app. Download our app now!
Air Quality and Pollen Tracking APP

Frequently asked questions

How often is the California wildfire map updated?

The California wildfire map by Ambee is updated every hour to provide the most accurate information on current fires.

What information does the California wildfire map provide?

California wildfire map provides information on the location, intensity, size, and potential risks of fires, along with details on FRP and FWI. Check out the complete parameter list above.

How can I check the wildfire map for California?

To view California's wildfire map, visit https://www.getambee.com/wildfire-map-california. Ambee’s latest wildfire analytics tool, Wildfires, provides a complete picture of California’s wildfires. Additionally, you can access wildfire data through Ambee’s API to create your own visualization.

How was Ambee’s wildfire data collected?

California wildfire map sources data from Ambee’s wildfire API. The API aggregates information from satellite sources, on-ground sensors, and station data to provide the most accurate results.