1. Home
  2. Organizations
  3. California Wildfire & ...
  4. Fire Severity Classification

Fire Severity Classification

Fire severity classification (low, moderate, high) that burned within the last 10 years (2012-2021). The difference-adjusted relativized difference normalized burn ratio (RDNBR) was calculated using methods modified from Parks et al (2018). Fire perimeters were obtained from CAL FIRE's April 2021 fire perimeter database. A function for estimating basal area loss from RDNBR values was fit to data from Miller et al (2009) using quasibinomial logistic regression and applied to the 2022-2021 fires. Estimated basal area loss was thresholded to represent low (75% loss) burn severity. For areas where multiple sequential fires burned from 2022-2021 the maximum burn severity is reported. Updated April 2023 to incorporate CAL FIRE's October-2022 revisions to fire perimeters and to minimize data loss resulting from spatial reprojection.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Last Updated July 6, 2025, 00:31 (UTC)
Created July 6, 2025, 00:31 (UTC)
categorical_values {"1": 23338827, "2": 20879571, "3": 13365875}
category /Operational Data Layers/Fire
collection_name California Landscape Metrics
creation_method The difference-adjusted relativized difference normalized burn ratio (RDNBR) was calculated using methods modified from Parks et al (2018). Fire perimeters were obtained from CAL FIRE's April 2021 fire perimeter database. A function for estimating basal area loss from RDNBR values was fit to data from Miller et al (2009) using quasibinomial logistic regression and applied to the 2022-2021 fires. Estimated basal area loss was thresholded to represent low (<25% loss), moderate (25% - 75% loss), and high (>75% loss) burn severity. For areas where multiple sequential fires burned from 2022-2021 the maximum burn severity is reported. Updated April 2023 to incorporate CAL FIRE's October-2022 revisions to fire perimeters and to minimize data loss resulting from spatial reprojection.
data_units Value, 1 to 3
data_vintage April 2023
element Fire
file_name fire_severity_class_max_2012t6o2t1_all_CA_v2.tif
format geotiff
maximum_value 3.0
metric_definition_and_relevance Fire severity classification (low, moderate, high) that burned within the last 10 years (2012-2021).
minimum_value 1.0
source Joe Stewart, UC Davis; Fire History (April 2022), CAL FIRE; Landsat 8, NASA; Postfire mortality data, Miller et al. 2009
spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-23.487205999069406, 10.825853232022588], [-13.315941363097712, 10.825853232022588], [-13.315941363097712, 21.559453471356324], [-23.487205999069406, 21.559453471356324], [-23.487205999069406, 10.825853232022588]]]}
sub_collection_name Operational Data Layers