Performance of heat spots obtained from satellite datasets to represent burned areas in Andean ecosystems of Cusco, Peru

Abstract

The combustion of biomass is a prevalent practice in the Andes. Often, these burns escape control and escalate into wildfires. However, the investigation of unreported fire incidents has not received the same level of attention as reported wildfires. Satellite provide an alternative information source for studying wildfires. Given the scarcity of wildfire response tools, it is imperative to develop strategies to prevent burns in regions where human activity typically triggers wildfires. This study aims to assess the efficacy of heat spot data obtained from satellite datasets in identifying fire activity in the Peruvian Andes. The study utilized MODIS (MCD14DL product) and VIIRS (SUOMI and JPSS-1 products) satellite datasets to characterize fire activity through heat spot detection. Additionally, the study employed the normalized burned area index (NBR), a valuable indicator for mapping burned areas. Our findings indicate that MODIS and VIIRS heat spots demonstrate a high level of reliability in detecting active fires (commission errors of ∼1%). However, the detection of burned areas not captured by MODIS or VIIRS heat spots was significantly high (omission errors of ∼90%). Nevertheless, this detection deficiency decreased for larger burn areas (errors of omission between 10 and 30% for burned areas between 50 and 100 ha, using JPSS-1 VIIRS). These results suggest that satellite heat spots are inadequate for identifying burn practices, which encompass small-scale and short-duration fire activities (lasting only hours). The outcomes of this study enhance our understanding of the suitability of heat spot detection for wildfire prevention in the Peruvian Andes.