Visualizing Pyroclimatology

Benjamin Hatchett , T. Todd Lindley, John Abatzoglou, Ansley Baring, Alexander Gershunov, Kristen Guirguis, Robert Munroe, Nick J. Nauslar, Eli Orland, Alan M. Rhoades, Karen C. Short, Rochelle P. Worsnop

Background: Wildland fire activity often demonstrates distinct seasonality resulting from the alignment of climatologically favorable fuels, weather, and ignitions. Characterization of windows favoring extreme fire behavior and beneficial fire potential at relevant spatiotemporal scales provides context for interpreting fire regimes and informing wildland fire management.

Methods: Adapting the climograph concept into "pyroclimographs," we utilize satellite observations of fire radiative power (FRP) and detection counts spanning 1 January 2001–15 September 2026 to visualize fire activity across daily-to-decadal timescales. We first present four regional case studies then evaluate cumulative 2026 FRP rankings and the temporal concentration of fire activity (days contributing 10–90% of total record FRP) across 50 U.S. states, 136 pyromes, and 117 National Weather Service County Warning Areas.

Results: Pyroclimographs reveal fire activity type and timing, which is sensitive to geographic delineations, and highlight distinct fire environments when complemented with additional data.
In 2026 (through 15 September), we identify multiple regions of the U.S. experiencing record-high or record-low active fire years. Fire activity concentration varies widely across pyromes with 41 pyromes accumulating 90% of total FRP in under 2% of total days (<187 days), while 30 pyromes required over 15% of days (>1,406 days). 

Conclusions: By contextualizing fire regimes across regions and timescales, pyroclimographs demonstrate potential for use as an operational and research visualization tool supporting aspects of fire management and public communication. Integrating satellite-based fire detections with additional data could augment firefighter Pocket Cards by enhancing their accessibility and usability.