WFCA operates live wildfire tracking platform for Western US and Alaska
Washoe County Wildfire Tracking via WFCA Fire Map
The Western Fire Chiefs Association operates a live fire tracking platform monitoring wildfire activity across the western United States and Alaska, utilizing satellite data and AI verification systems to track active incidents.
NASA and NOAA Satellites Detect Regional Fires
Fires across the region are detected using polar-orbiting thermal sensors from NASA FIRMS—specifically VIIRS, MODIS, and Landsat—alongside geostationary data from NOAA’s GOES satellites. The Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) Fire Map integrates these feeds with Satellites on Fire, an artificial intelligence system that confirms satellite-based wildfire detections to provide higher-resolution data.
Meteorological contexts and hazard evaluations are supplied by the National Weather Service and NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center, which issue Red Flag Warnings and localized fire-weather outlooks.
Mapping Interface Tracks Fire Perimeters and Emergency Responses
The mapping interface displays active fire perimeters using official IRWIN incident records and federal FEDS perimeter data, tracking growth status and containment progress. Users can view live 911 dispatch calls covering fire, medical, and emergency responses through integrated PulsePoint feeds.
Additional layers on the platform track smoke dispersion, lightning strikes, and short-range spread forecasts. Aerial firefighting resources, including designated tankers, helicopters, and reconnaissance aircraft, appear on the map filtered through a maintained allowlist of wildfire-tasked tail numbers.
Visual confirmation tools include live fire camera networks from ALERTCalifornia and ALERTWest, paired with GOES GeoColor true-color imagery and VIIRS Fire Bands composites. The platform updates users through interactive layers and incident detail panels containing growth histories and dispatch logs.
Fire dispatch and location data remain approximate, and no representation or warranty is given as to the timeliness, accuracy, or completeness of the data provided on the tracking platform.