This wildfire hazard potential (WHP) dataset represents an index that quantifies the relative potential for wildfire that may be difficult to control.

WHP can be used as a measure to help prioritize where fuel treatments may be needed. Higher values represent locations with a higher probability of experiencing torching, crowning, and other forms of extreme fire behavior under conducive weather conditions, based primarily on landscape conditions at the beginning of the 2020 fire season. This layer was aggregated from original 30m to 90m resolution by mean.

CAL WHP was calculated by following the methods established by Dillon et al. (2015) and Dillon (2018) while using higher-resolution inputs including 30-m CAL vegetation inputs (derived from LANDFIRE 2016 ), 30-m CAL fuel model outputs, 30-m CAL burn probability results, and 30-m CAL fire-effects flame-length probabilities from the WildEST wildfire behavior results.

Please reference the CAL report for more detailed information. Original raster resolution is 30m . Data finalized 1/31/2021 .

Additional information on the WHP can be found in the following references:

Dillon, Gregory K.; Menakis, James; Fay, Frank. 2015. Wildland fire potential: A tool for assessing wildfire risk and fuels management needs. In: Keane, Robert E.; Jolly, Matt; Parsons, Russell; Riley, Karin. Proceedings of the large wildland fires conference; May 19-23, 2014; Missoula, MT. Proc. RMRS-P-73. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 60-76. https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/49429

Dillon, Gregory K. 2018. Wildfire Hazard Potential (WHP) for the conterminous United States (270-m GRID), version 2018 continuous. 2nd Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2015-0047-2