New York State Mesonet, Department of Environmental Conservation Partner on New Fire Danger Rating System

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 25, 2024) — Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a new real-time weather data tool to help inform New Yorkers when there is an increased risk of wildfires. 

Researchers at the New York State Mesonet at the University at Albany and the state Department of Environmental Conservation are utilizing data from the Mesonet’s statewide weather network to generate daily fire danger ratings to offer more reliable wildfire information and improve public safety.

“We’re seeing the effects of climate change in real time, with dangerous wildfire seasons across the continent year after year,” Gov. Hochul said. “We want to make sure the state has the latest tools and information to prepare for and respond to wildfires to ensure our communities and resources are protected.”

“Even before wildland fires ignite, accurate data is crucial to deploy resources and advise communities of potential dangers,” said Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar. “DEC’s partnership with New York State Mesonet will offer enhanced and reliable wildfire information to help keep communities safe by harnessing the power of the Mesonet to increase the number of stations recording observations in each of the state’s fire danger rating areas. This data will help inform a new, easier to read map that will benefit New Yorkers when wildfire dangers arise.”

Localized Fire Weather Information

The New York State Mesonet is the nation’s most advanced and largest early-warning weather detection system. It features 127 standard weather observation stations that cover the entire state, including at least one in every county and borough. Each site measures temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, pressure, precipitation, solar radiation, snow depth and soil information, and offers camera images. The data is collected in real-time every five minutes, feeding weather prediction models and decision-support tools for users across New York.

DEC’s Wildfire Predictive Services issues and updates a fire danger map that divides New York into multiple fire danger rating areas, and then rates each on a wildfire risk scale from low to extreme.

The enhanced data collection helps identify the local variability of fire danger across the state, allowing community leaders, emergency managers and everyday New Yorkers to adapt their activities to prevent fires and reduce damage. It will be publicly available, offering year-round fire danger ratings and, in conjunction with DEC’s weather forecasts, other fire weather environmental and meteorological variables for all fire danger rating areas in New York.

“Localized weather data has a critical role to play in how we adapt to the most severe impacts of climate change. We are proud to continue working with our public and private partners across the state on projects like this one that improve the resilience of New Yorkers to weather-related extremes,” said UAlbany Atmospheric Sciences Research Center Director and Executive Director of the NYS Mesonet Chris Thorncroft.

“As the climate is getting warmer, the frequency and severity of fire weather is increasing across the U.S. This new collaboration will respond by taking full advantage of NYS Mesonet weather data and expertise, providing a more detailed and accurate fire danger rating scale,” said New York State Mesonet Director June Wang.

“Wildfires are a threat to people, animals, nature and communities. This new data tool will help get critical information to the public and firefighters faster and more accurately so that the danger created by these wildfires can be minimized,” said Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray.

Improving Wildfire Preparedness

Fire danger maps are published simultaneously on both the DEC website and the New York State Mesonet Fire Danger Products web page.

Similar to the current RAWS system, the New York State Mesonet will provide the national Weather Information Management System, which serves as the host for the  National Fire Danger Rating System, with the data necessary to publish regional fire danger rating products.

The public website available through the New York State Mesonet offers current and historic fire weather information, updated daily. The project is funded by DEC through a U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant.

View the New York State Mesonet Fire Danger Products page.

The DEC Fire Danger Map will continue to host the fire danger map in addition to specific information about fire danger ratings and the fire danger rating areas.