Free satellite tool shows which Australian areas face highest bushfire risk
Geosciences Australia released a free satellite tool to measure vegetation moisture. It helps communities and land managers predict bushfire danger.
As spring bushfire season approaches, Geosciences Australia released a free satellite tool to help monitor local fire risk. The system uses European Space Agency satellites.
The tool measures how much water vegetation contains. Fuel moisture content is the name for this amount.
It determines how easily plants ignite and burn. New observations update every five days at 20-metre resolution.
Records go back to 2015. When moisture drops, flammability rises.
Land managers can use the maps to plan prescribed burns at safe times. Communities can spot areas drying faster than usual.
The tool adds local detail to Australia's national seasonal bushfire outlook released in August.
- Geosciences Australia
- Provider
- European Space Agency Sentinel-2
- Satellite source
- 20 metre
- Map resolution
- Every 5 days, records back to 2015
- Update frequency and data history
Why it mattersDetailed, regularly updated moisture maps help communities and land managers spot dangerous drying patterns early. This gives them time to prepare before peak fire season hits.
AustraliaAll Australians in bushfire-prone regions gain free access to detailed, updated moisture maps to guide evacuation planning, prescribed burning schedules and fire-season preparation.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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