Use cases
Depending on the use case, different APIs and data sources are available. This section will provide hints on which guide to follow, depending on the use case.
To access API and data, a valid subscription and an API key are required. Refer to the Getting Started section for more information.
Active Fire
Active and historical fire data is offered via REST API and is useful when:
- monitoring active fires
- analyzing historical fire data
Thermal anomalies are detected as individual hotspots by analyzing satellite imagery. Hotspots are then aggregated spatially and temporally into clusters.
For fire monitoring, the Fire Clusters section is the best starting point. The Hotspots guide also offers useful insight but is more advanced, as it delivers raw and unfiltered data.
For any new integration, we recommend using the Fire Clusters API, as it provides aggregated data and includes contextual information. The Hotspots API provides raw data that needs to be interpreted, before being able to use it.
Integrating Data
Integrating own fire incidents and publishing that data to the platform is supported via the External Incidents API.
Fire Spread Simulation
Active fire endpoints return current or past fire data, but for simulating the future evolution of an identified fire, the Fire Spread guide is the best starting point.
Satellite Imagery
Thermal-infrared satellite imagery is used to:
- detect hotspots
- detect burnt areas
- generate different world grid layers
Images (L1-L2 products) downloaded from satellites are saved on ground infrastructure. To access this imagery, the STAC guide is the best starting point.
Data Analysis
For research purposes the Hotspots, Fire Clusters and STAC guides are relevant. The first two provide access to data (hotspots and clusters) derived from satellite images, while the STAC guide allows to get access to the raw satellite data.