Government agency of the Canadian province of Ontario that is responsible for managing and protecting its natural resources, maintaining provincial parks, and monitoring and suppressing forest fires.


LOCATION / TOPOGRAPHY

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service manages all wildlife in all terrains within the United States. On the Atlantic Coast, the terrain is comprised of coastal plains and deciduous forests rolling into grasslands in the Midwest. Further west, the Rocky Mountain range gives way to the rocky Great Basin region and deserts such as the Mojave. The Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges run the length of the west coast, where the climate is Mediterranean and oceanic.

The United States includes most climate types, such as the frozen Alaskan north, the arid plains and prairies, and tropical zones in the Hawaiian islands and the Florida keys. The dry plains and forested areas are often prone to wildfires, both of natural and human causes in the hot and dry months. Extreme weather is not uncommon for the region bordering the Gulf of Mexico, and the area is prone to hurricanes in the summer months.

NETWORK DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife fire RAWS network is used for fire weather monitoring and controlling prescribed burnings. Consisting of both fixed and portable stations, the network plays an integral part in preserving wildlife and their habitats across the country.

NUMBER OF FTS STATIONS
164 (141 fixed, 23 portable)

FIRE INDICES USED
CFFDRS (Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System), as well as other modeling programs

TELEMETRY
GOES satellite systems
Voice-over radio (AirTalk)

SENSORS
WIND SPEED / DIRECTION
AIR TEMPERATURE / RELATIVE HUMIDITY
RAIN GAUGE
SOLAR RADIATION
FUEL STICK