Developing a science strategy and science priorities for FireSat, an upcoming high spatial and temporal resolution fire monitoring system

Abstract In many regions, wildfires are increasing in frequency, extent, and intensity, with consequences for climate, human health, and ecosystem integrity. Addressing increasing wildfires requires timely, accurate, and management-relevant observations to detect fires, characterize their behavior, and quantify their impacts around the world. This meeting report synthesizes outcomes from three international science workshops held in 2025 that brought together approximately 100 participants from academia, government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to develop a coordinated science strategy for FireSat, an upcoming non-governmental satellite constellation dedicated to global fire monitoring. FireSat is designed to provide unprecedented spatial (∼80 m) and temporal (sub-hourly at full deployment) resolution of active fires, enabling improved understanding of large and short-duration fires and detection of small, cool, short-duration, and understory fires that are poorly resolved by existing systems. The report outlines priority scientific opportunities spanning climate and carbon emissions, community health and safety, and ecosystem impacts. It presents a structured research timeline from 2026 to 2030 aligned with FireSat’s phased deployment. Central themes include independent validation, uncertainty characterization, integration with legacy fire datasets, and translation of science advances into operational decision support. By articulating a shared roadmap from data to science to action, this paper aims to foster complementary researcher engagement, guide and encourage investments, foster community, and accelerate the effective use of FireSat to improve fire science, management, and societal outcomes worldwide.

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Publication Details

Journal
Fire Ecology
Published
2026-10-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-026-00599-w
Primary Topic
Fire effects on ecosystems
Type
article
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0.00
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article

Developing a science strategy and science priorities for FireSat, an upcoming high spatial and temporal resolution fire monitoring system

Brian J. Buma, Edward A. G. Schuur, Timothy J. Dube, M. J. Falkowski et al.
Fire Ecology
Fire effects on ecosystems
article

Developing a science strategy and science priorities for FireSat, an upcoming high spatial and temporal resolution fire monitoring system

Brian J. Buma, Edward A. G. Schuur, Timothy J. Dube, M. J. Falkowski, C. Ichoku, D. Oom, M. C. Mack, A. G. Konings, D. B. Sapsis, L. Moore-Merrell, R. E. Kennedy, T. Loboda, Z. Li, D. Saah, J. V. Hall, T. Mozelewski, B. Poulter, A. Kapusta, W. J. Requia, C. Seielstad, S. A. Parks, W. Tang, A. Duane, C. Hoffman, K.L. Shive, I. Gitas, A. T. Hudak, J.K. Shuman, G. Roberts, D. P. Roy, Y. Jin, B. M. Rogers, K. C. Barsanti, W. D. Hansen, N. J. Deere, E. Alvarado, K. Tenneson, J. K. Balch, H. Huang, N. R. Bjarke, R. Harned, S. Veraverbeke, P. Hessburg, H. Mahmoud, C. F. Gould, M. L. Khan, J. Bratburd
article en

Abstract

Abstract In many regions, wildfires are increasing in frequency, extent, and intensity, with consequences for climate, human health, and ecosystem integrity. Addressing increasing wildfires requires timely, accurate, and management-relevant observations to detect fires, characterize their behavior, and quantify their impacts around the world. This meeting report synthesizes outcomes from three international science workshops held in 2025 that brought together approximately 100 participants from academia, government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to develop a coordinated science strategy for FireSat, an upcoming non-governmental satellite constellation dedicated to global fire monitoring. FireSat is designed to provide unprecedented spatial (∼80 m) and temporal (sub-hourly at full deployment) resolution of active fires, enabling improved understanding of large and short-duration fires and detection of small, cool, short-duration, and understory fires that are poorly resolved by existing systems. The report outlines priority scientific opportunities spanning climate and carbon emissions, community health and safety, and ecosystem impacts. It presents a structured research timeline from 2026 to 2030 aligned with FireSat’s phased deployment. Central themes include independent validation, uncertainty characterization, integration with legacy fire datasets, and translation of science advances into operational decision support. By articulating a shared roadmap from data to science to action, this paper aims to foster complementary researcher engagement, guide and encourage investments, foster community, and accelerate the effective use of FireSat to improve fire science, management, and societal outcomes worldwide.

Fire EcologyVol. 22(1)
NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (US), American Institutes for Research (US), Environmental Defense Fund (US), Oregon State University (US), Woodwell Climate Research Center (US), US Forest Service (US), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (IT), University of Wisconsin–Madison (US), Moscow State Forest University (RU), University of Colorado Boulder (US), Vanderbilt University (US), University of Washington (US), Northern Arizona University (US), University of Kent (GB), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR), University of Colorado System (US), Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies (US), University of California San Diego (US), UL Research Institutes (US), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (US), Fundação Getulio Vargas (BR), University of Virginia (US), University of Maryland, College Park (US), University of Montana (US), University of San Francisco (US), University of Maryland, Baltimore County (US), University of California, Davis (US), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL), University of the Western Cape (ZA), Michigan State University (US), Dr. Hari Singh Gour University (IN), Colorado State University (US), University of California, Berkeley (US), Stanford University (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 17%
Fire effects on ecosystems
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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