Map Layers

Note: If the layer you want to use doesn't appear in the layer list, make sure you've selected it in your system preferences. If you don't see anything change on the map when you turn on a layer, try zooming in. If the layer you want to use doesn't appear in the layer list, make sure you've selected it in your system preferences. If you don't see anything change on the map when you turn on a layer, try zooming in. 

The following map layers are available from each map display in WFDSS. When you click the Map tab and the + next to each item (to expand them), you can view the individual layers contained by each. You can turn off map layers, as needed, to only display the map layers you choose to view. This can be done on from My Home > System Preferences.

• Base layers: Each layer type provides different information. For instance, WFDSS and USGS topos display the normal topographic maps that we're all familiar with. USGS Imagery and Google Maps are good for determining where forested areas exist. USGS Topo and Google Physical show shaded relief, as well as contour lines. USGS Imagery Topo shows a combination of imagery and contour lines. U.S. States is helpful when you are managing a large incident that crosses state lines.
• Fire Environment and Safety layers: These layers can supply very useful information regarding the fire area. For example, you can view the locations of nearby incidents (based on the radius setting in a user's System Preferences) and nationally, or view planning areas for active incidents, active MODIS, VIIRS and retardant avoidance areas, if they exist. These layers can all provide valuable situational awareness.
• Disturbance History layers: These layers contain perimeters loaded to WFDSS for fires since January 1 of the current year, as well as Historical Wildfires WFDSS Record and Historical Wildfires Agency Record, and Fuel Treatments, and MTBS (Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity).
• Fire Weather and Danger layers: These layers contain fire weather zone boundaries and locations of RAWS.
• Boundaries layers: Use this layer to determine land ownership in the area of a fire, as well as jurisdictional and responsible agencies and counties. You can also determine if the default LANDFIRE Landscape Source selected the incident (chosen on the Incident Information page) provides coverage for the incident area.
• Designated Areas layers: These layers are useful if you are managing an incident in an area that is remote or receives heavy recreation use, or near trails, rivers and/or byways of national significance. You might have to zoom in to see the layer.
• Historical Wildfires is broken out into two groups, splitting out the perimeters uploaded via WFDSS in previous years from perimeters that are collected yearly from Agency Authoritative sources. Both datasets are organized by decade. The WFDSS Record perimeters contain the latest effective date perimeter loaded to WFDSS, and includes perimeters prior to the advent of WFDSS that were solicited from agencies when WFDSS launched in 2009. The Authoritative Agency Record perimeters contain only the agency’s authoritative perimeter.
• Infrastructure layers: These layers contain spatial information about facilities/buildings, communications, energy and roads/trails. Depending on what map layers you selected in your System Preferences, you may be able to view where transmission lines, power plants, electric sub stations, oil/gas pipelines, roads, as well as some structures exist in your area of interest.
• National and Cultural Resources layers: These layers contain air quality spatial information that includes Class 1 Air Sheds and NAA ozone and particulates as well as critical habitat, and other species. Keep in mind that the Critical Habitat layer is not complete for the entire country. Therefore, just because nothing shows up, that does not mean there is no critical habitat in your area. It might only indicate that no critical habitat layer exists in WFDSS for your fire's area.
• Unit Fire Planning: This layer is scale dependent and lists the units with boundaries that intersect the current map display; zoom in to see fewer units, or zoom out to see more. For each unit listed, you can also view the unit's associated outline, FMUs and or SOs, Management Requirements (if the unit has chosen to implement the Spatial Fire Planning Process) and Other Unit Shapes.

If you are viewing the Situation, Analysis, Results, or View Landscape maps, you also see the Incident and Analysis layers. These layers contain:

• Incident layers: You can create and save the following incident shapes:
  • Planning areas
  • Fire perimeters
  • Management action points
  • Incident obj. shapes
  • Points of interest
• Analysis layers: You can create and save a variety of analysis shapes and view model outputs:
  • Ignitions
  • Barriers
  • Landscape masks
  • Basic
  • Short-Term
  • Near-Term Results
  • FSPro Results
  • FSPro Suppression Results

Notice that some layers have little color palettes next to the layer name. When you click these, the legend for the layer appears.

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Last updated on 12/29/2021 12:13:43 PM.

In This Section About Maps

See Also Bookmarking Maps Managing Map Layers About the Situation Map Intelligence Map Analysis Map Unit Maps Viewing Fire-Related Layers Map Legends

Reference Field Descriptions Glossary Resources Spatial Data Reference Landscape Data Source Reference Relative Risk Reference Organization Assessment Reference Fire Behavior Reference About the WFDSS Decision Editors