Data Integration Guide
How to consume Flagstaff Wildfire Detection data in ArcGIS Online, QGIS, or any OGC-compatible GIS platform. All endpoints are public, require no authentication, and update in real time.
Live GeoJSON Feed
Our primary data product is a live GeoJSON feed of all active fire events. It follows RFC 7946 (OGC GeoJSON standard) and is designed for direct consumption by ArcGIS Online, QGIS, and other GIS tools.
https://dashboard.flagstaffwildfire.org/ogc/events.geojson
Content-Type: application/geo+json ·
CORS enabled · Updates every 30 seconds
Add to ArcGIS Online
- Open Map Viewer in ArcGIS Online
- Click Add → Add layer from URL
- Select type A GeoJSON File and paste the URL above
- Set Refresh Interval to 0.5 minutes (30 seconds) for near-real-time updates
- Configure symbology using the
alert_levelfield (see table below)
Add to QGIS
- Open Layer → Add Layer → Add Vector Layer
- Set source type to Protocol: HTTP(S)
- Paste the GeoJSON URL and click Add
CAP Alert Feed
We also publish a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP 1.2) feed,
the international standard used by emergency management agencies.
Each active fire event is represented as a CAP <info> block
with urgency, severity, and certainty mapped from our alert levels.
https://dashboard.flagstaffwildfire.org/ogc/alerts.cap
Content-Type: application/xml ·
Namespace: urn:oasis:names:tc:emergency:cap:1.2
Field Reference
Every feature in the GeoJSON feed includes these properties:
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
event_id | Integer | Unique fire event identifier |
alert_level | String | Wildfire alert level (see below) |
alert_color | String | Hex color for symbology (e.g. #E67E22) |
status | String | Internal status: PROVISIONAL, LIKELY, CONFIRMED, MONITORING, RETRACTED |
incident_name | String | Human-readable name (road + locality) |
lga | String | County or jurisdiction area |
centroid_lat | Float | Latitude (WGS 84) |
centroid_lon | Float | Longitude (WGS 84) |
location_uncertainty_m | Float | Positional uncertainty radius (metres) |
first_detection_time | ISO 8601 | When the event was first detected (UTC) |
latest_detection_time | ISO 8601 | Most recent observation (UTC) |
detection_count | Integer | Number of independent satellite detections |
sources | String | Comma-separated satellite sources (DEA, FIRMS, HIMAWARI) |
max_frp | Float | Maximum Fire Radiative Power (MW), null if unavailable |
max_confidence | String | Highest confidence level from any source |
responsible_system | String | Always "Flagstaff Wildfire Detection / NAU" |
portal_url | String | Link to our dispatcher portal |
Alert Levels
Alert levels use standard wildfire detection terminology.
The alert_color field provides the recommended symbology color.
| Alert Level | Color | Meaning | Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watch and Act | #E67E22 |
Confirmed fire with significant intensity or persistence | CONFIRMED + FRP > 20 MW or 5+ detections |
| Advice | #F1C40F |
Confirmed or likely fire, no immediate escalation | CONFIRMED or LIKELY status |
| Unverified | #3498DB |
Single satellite anomaly, awaiting confirmation | PROVISIONAL status |
| Being Monitored | #27AE60 |
Previously confirmed, under observation | MONITORING status |
| Retracted | #95A5A6 |
Not confirmed on subsequent passes, likely false alarm | RETRACTED status |
Daily Reports
A comprehensive GeoJSON report is generated daily at 18:00 MST and distributed to stakeholders. Daily reports include all events (including closed/retracted), full timing provenance, and uncertainty geometry.
Point
geometry for maximum AGOL/QGIS compatibility. Daily reports include an
uncertainty_circle property containing the uncertainty polygon
as a GeoJSON Polygon object.
Technical Details
Coordinate Reference System
All coordinates are WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) in
[longitude, latitude] order per RFC 7946. No crs
member is included (RFC 7946 mandates WGS84 by default).
Date/Time Format
All timestamps are ISO 8601 in UTC. For local display, convert to MST (UTC-7). Arizona does not observe daylight saving time.
Update Frequency
The GeoJSON endpoint reflects the current state of our event store, which is updated as satellite data arrives. GOES-West observations arrive every ~10 minutes; DEA Hotspots (VIIRS) arrive within ~17 minutes of overpass. We recommend a 30-second refresh interval for near-real-time display.
System Status
System health (uptime, polling status, detection counts) is available at
/api/status (requires authentication).