Conference Agenda

The increasing complexity of wildfire management necessitates accurate, timely, and frequently updated data from satellite-based Earth Observations (EOs) for rapid detection and monitoring. This paper assesses the impact of satellite imagery on US wildfire management costs, focusing on FIRMS Active Fire (AF) detection information and view angle dependencies from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. Using a dataset that combines wildfire management costs with satellite and fire-related covariates, I find that fires detected by MODIS with a View Zenith Angle (VZA) below 30° prior to discovery are associated with a 9.74% reduction in final management costs compared to those without AF detection. Conversely, fires with a VZA above 30° do not exhibit consistent or statistically significant cost reductions. Causal random forest analysis shows heterogeneity in the effects of receiving a VZA below 30°, with open land covers and less rugged terrains benefiting the most. One potential underlying mechanism behind the results could be higher allocation of resources at the onset of the fire due to increased certainty, as fires detected with a VZA below 30° exhibit a positive and statistically significant relationship with initial fire management costs compared to those without AF detection.