gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:75370 eng UTF8 dataset GIS dataset of raster files National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science resourceProvider NCCOS Scientific Data Coordinator NCCOS.data@noaa.gov pointOfContact Alva, Amanda amanda.alva@noaa.gov Contact by email: amanda.alva@noaa.gov pointOfContact 2026-03-04T19:17:18 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata Part 2 Extensions for imagery and gridded data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) EPSG::26916 NCCOS Assessment: Prescribed Fire in Coastal Alabama and Mississippi, 1992-01-01 to 2022-12-31 2025 creation 2025 publication NOAA/NMFS/EDM 75370 https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/S5GWRH https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/75370 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Full Metadata Record View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. information NCCOS Scientific Data Coordinator NCCOS.data@noaa.gov Principal Investigator: Auerswald, Katie katherine.auerswald@noaa.gov, US DOC; NOAA; NOS; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)and CSS, Inc, 2025 to present Additional Principal Investigators: Sarah Ball Gonyo, sarah.gonyo@noaa.gov, US DOC; NOAA; NOS; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) principalInvestigator Alva, Amanda amanda.alva@noaa.gov Auerswald, Katherine at katherine.auerswald@noaa.gov, US DOC; NOAA; NOS; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)and CSS, Inc author https://forestry.alabama.gov/Pages/Fire/Totals.aspx WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Current Wildfire Totals. Alabama Forestry Commission. Citation for purpose: Current Wildfire Totals. Alabama Forestry Commission. (n.d.). https://forestry.alabama.gov/Pages/Fire/Totals.aspx download https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/country/USA/25/?category=fires WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Mississippi, United States deforestation rates & statistics. Global Forest Watch. Citation for purpose: Mississippi, United States deforestation rates & statistics. Global Forest Watch. (n.d.). https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/country/USA/25/?category=fires download https://doi.org/10.1890/120329 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Ryan, K.C., Knapp, E.E. and Varner, J.M. (2013) Citation for purpose: Ryan, K.C., Knapp, E.E. and Varner, J.M. (2013), Prescribed fire in North American forests and woodlands: history, current practice, and challenges. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 11: e15-e24. https://doi.org/10.1890/120329 download https://www.nps.gov/articles/what-is-a-prescribed-fire.htm WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link U.S. Department of the Interior, NPS Citation for purpose: U.S. Department of the Interior. (2020, March 19). Wildland fire: What is a prescribed fire? National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/what-is-a-prescribed-fire.htm download https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/S5GWRH WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Auerswald, Katherine, 2025, "NCCOS Assessment: Prescribed Fire in Coastal Alabama and Mississippi, 1992-01-01 to 2022-12-31", https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/S5GWRH, Harvard Dataverse, V1. Harvard Dataverse dataset DOI download https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/initiation-of-programmatic-approach-to-valuation-of-ecosystem-services-and-management-outcomes/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NCCOS Project Webpage: Outdoor Recreation and Public Perceptions of Prescribed Fires in Coastal Alabama and Mississippi Online Resource download This dataset includes smoke and prescribed fire density from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Social Science team's Prescribed Fire project in partnership with land managers at Grand Bay NERR and Weeks Bay NERR in coastal counties of Alabama and Mississippi. This dataset was created to visualize prescribed fire distribution and potential impacts in the study area of Jackson county, MS and Mobile and Baldwin counties, AL, and for use in an educational infographic for public outreach. In Alabama, from 2023 to 2024, there were 122 wildfires in Mobile and Baldwin Counties and a total of 2,215 fires across the state (Current Wildfire Totals. Alabama Forestry Commission). In Mississippi, from 2023 to 2024, there were approximately 400 fire alerts in Jackson County alone and approximately 3,500 fire alerts statewide (Mississippi, United States deforestation rates & statistics. Global Forest Watch). Prescribed burns, or planned fires, are one management approach used to reduce the risk of severe wildfires by making landscapes more resilient to fire (U.S. Department of the Interior, NPS). These fires are considered "prescribed" because they require careful planning, considering factors like temperature, wind direction, and humidity to avoid widespread smoke and accidental fires. Each year, about 1 million hectares of land in the United States are burned this way, with less than one percent spreading out of control (Ryan, Knapp, & Varner 2013). Prescribed fire is used much less frequently today than in the past, partly due to safety concerns and public perceptions. These factors can hinder the use of fire as a management tool, even where it's necessary for ecosystem health. Many people focus on the immediate downsides of smoke and potential fire outbreak, overlooking the long-term risks of not using fire, such as increased wildfires and reduced biodiversity. Additionally, regulations like the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act limit when and where burns can occur to protect air quality, human health, and endangered species (Ryan, Knapp, & Varner 2013). completed NCCOS Scientific Data Coordinator NCCOS.data@noaa.gov Point of Contact: Amanda Alva, amanda.alva@noaa.gov, US DOC; NOAA; NOS; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), 2025 to present NCCOS Data Manager, nccos.data@noaa.gov, US DOC; NOAA; NOS; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), 2025 to present pointOfContact Alva, Amanda amanda.alva@noaa.gov custodian NCCOS Scientific Data Coordinator NCCOS.data@noaa.gov custodian https://cdn.coastalscience.noaa.gov/csmedia/2023/10/NCCOS_tag_to_side_22hr.png Browse Graphic: NCCOS EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > AIR QUALITY EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > FIRE ECOLOGY > FIRE OCCURRENCE EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS > PRESCRIBED BURNS/FIRES EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > SOCIOECONOMICS theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords 17.0 CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > ALABAMA CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > MISSISSIPPI OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF AMERICA place Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords 20.8 NCCOS Data Type > Geospatial NCCOS Research Priority > Social Science NCCOS Research Topic > Ecosystem Valuation NCCOS Research Location > Marine Protected Areas > Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve NCCOS Research Location > Marine Protected Areas > Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve NCCOS Research Location > Region > Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Alabama NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Mississippi theme NCCOS Keywords DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2017-04-24 publication 8.5 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian NCCOS Social Science Team project InPort otherRestrictions Cite As: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, [Date of Access]: NCCOS Assessment: Prescribed Fire in Coastal Alabama and Mississippi, 1992-01-01 to 2022-12-31 [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/75370. NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose. license These data were produced by NOAA and are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. NOAA waives any potential copyright and related rights in these data worldwide through the Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (CC0-1.0). SPDX License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0) otherRestrictions Access Constraints: None otherRestrictions Use Constraints: None unclassified multiple files multiple files https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/S5GWRH Harvard Dataverse custodian crossReference NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA/NMFS/EDM 75370 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/nccos/dmp/pdf/75370.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. information crossReference eng; US oceans -88.88453600034 -87.36659099958 30.14442500021 31.31901699973 1992-01-01 2025-03-01 ESRI File Geodatabase ArcGIS Pro version 3.4.0 Zip National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science 1305 East West Highway, Rm 8110 Silver Spring MD 20910 https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Website Website listed for National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science information Distributor: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), NCCOS.data@noaa.gov, 2025 to Present Harvard Dataverse, 2025 to Present distributor https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/S5GWRH WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NCCOS ESV AL MS Auerswald, Katherine, 2025, "NCCOS Assessment: Prescribed Fire in Coastal Alabama and Mississippi, 1992-01-01 to 2022-12-31", https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/S5GWRH, Harvard Dataverse. download dataset Completeness Report For details of data completeness, see Lineage Sources. Secondary fire data was used from the Fire Program Analysis (FPA) Fire-Occurrence Database (FOD). This point data from 1992-2020 was downloaded and filtered to only include human caused fires for debris and open burning. It was then converted to a raster format using the Kernel Density tool in ArcGIS Pro, weighing fire size as a population input based on partner requests. The resulting raster displays prescribed fire density weighted by final fire size. Pixels with higher values indicate areas that have more fires and larger fires (via acres burned). Secondary smoke data from NOAA's Hazard Mapping System was summarized within block groups in the study area to understand how smoke distribution may or may not align with actual locations of prescribed fires, and how visual smoke may impact public perceptions of prescribed fire. Smoke shapefiles from 2017-2022 were filtered to only include visible smoke originating within the study area. A survey on public perception of prescribed fires is planned for future data collection. Source Contribution: WorldPop (www.worldpop.org - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton; Department of Geography and Geosciences, University of Louisville; Departement de Geographie, Universite de Namur) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University (2018). Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project - Funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Accessed from https://worldpop.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/WorldPop_Population_Density_1km/ImageServer, which was acquired from https://www.worldpop.org/doi/10.5258/SOTON/WP00674 on 15 Sep, 2021. Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project https://worldpop.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/WorldPop_Population_Density_1km/ImageServer WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project Source Citation URL information Source Contribution: NOAA Hazard Mapping System. (n.d.). Fire and Smoke Product. Retrieved July 2024, from https://origin-east-01-www-ospo.woc.noaa.gov/products/land/hms.html#data NOAA Hazard Mapping System https://origin-east-01-www-ospo.woc.noaa.gov/products/land/hms.html#data WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Fire and Smoke Product Source Citation URL information Source Contribution: Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 Source Citation URL information Source Contribution: U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). TIGER/Line with selected demographic and economic data. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/geographies/mapping-files/time-series/geo/tiger-data.html TIGER/Line with selected demographic and economic data https://www.census.gov/geographies/mapping-files/time-series/geo/tiger-data.html WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link TIGER/Line with selected demographic and economic data Source Citation URL information