Introduction
This data set presents Madison, New Jersey Wildfire risks using Wildfire Hazard Potential (WHP) provided by the USDA Forest Service. Its use is essentially to depict potential wildfires but its primary purpose is to highlight areas in which vegetation treatments may be needed in order to reduce future wildfire intensities.
Data
The data shown for Wildfire risk potential is from the Integrated Reporting of Wildland-Fire Information (IRWIN) and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). The data gets updated weekly making the information received current information. Data for forest coverage came from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Division of Information Technology (DOIT), and Bureau of Geographic Information System (BGIS). The information is based on land use during 2015.
Results
Looking at fires in Madison, NJ from 2010 to 2021, there have been a total of 22 fires with different ranges of severity. When looking at the potential of a wildfire starting in Madison, it is shown that the potential risk ranges from 1.00 (low risk) to 2.29 (moderately low risk). The moderately low-risk area has the most housing units a total of 839 housing units. Figure 1 shows the area of Madison that is covered by land considered a forest. Forest land is spaced out throughout Madison with the most coverage being 64.26 acres at Drew University. Even with the most forest land coverage, the wildfire risk at Drew University is low (1.17).
Conclusion
The potential wildfire risk in Madison, NJ is between low risk and moderately low risk. Areas with low risk tend to be areas where there is more forest and fewer housing units. In terms of vegetation treatment, the current treatment plan seems to be working well. For the areas with a moderately low risk of potential wildfires, a new vegetation treatment may be needed.
Figure 1: Wildfire Risk in Madison, New Jersey (Orange represents max hazard potential at 2.29) Along with Forest Land Coverage
Find this map online: https://arcg.is/1ibvKC0 Madison Environmental Resource Inventory
About the Data
More details about the fires that took place in Madison can be found here
Details about the data can be found here for Land use and here for wildfires
The presentation for this map can be found here
Find this map online: https://arcg.is/1ibvKC0 Madison Environmental Resource Inventory