Note to users (27 Jan 2025): The topographic slope shown in RAVG summary tables is provided in percent rise. It was incorrectly noted as being in degrees in some 2024 data. Affected data bundles should reflect the correction now.
National Forest Service Datasets
Annual raster mosaics and combined perimeter shapefiles including published Forest Service RAVG data are available as map services and downloads for recent years. There are three classified burn severity products (raster datasets) for each year: 7-class percent change in basal area (BA-7), 5-class percent change in canopy cover (CC-5), and 4-class composite burn index (CBI-4). Two versions of the vector data are provided: one has a single feature for each mapped event (i.e., fire or group of fires); the other is further divided by National Forest and designated wilderness area. Each includes summary (zonal) statistics reflecting the number of acres assessed to have high BA loss (new as of late 2023).
- Raster map services (national mosaics of BA-7, CC-5 and CBI-4)
- Image services (time-enabled national mosaics of BA-7, CC-5 and CBI-4)
- Vector map service (burned area perimeters for all years, as mapped)
- Downloadable raster data (national mosaics of BA-7, CC-5 and CBI-4, by year)
- Downloadable perimeters combined shapefile for all years)
Note: Annual national raster datasets are typically prepared soon after the end of the year. Data for fires processed as extended assessments are added after the following growing season. Vector datasets are updated more frequently. For questions or issues with any of these data, please send an email message to SM.FS.PostFireRAVG@usda.gov.
Burn Severity Portal
The Burn Severity Portal (BSP) provides access to RAVG data from GTAC (primarily U.S. Forest Service lands) and USGS EROS (primarily Department of the Interior lands) as well as to other post-fire data (e.g., MTBS data). The BSP's interactive viewer allows the user to select data using spatial and temporal filters, including user-drawn areas, and download multiple data bundles simultaneously (see example in screenshot). As of the end of 2024, most Forest Service RAVG datasets from 2007 to 2023 are available. Updates occur quarterly.
Raster Data Extraction Tool
The RAVG Data Extract Tool is an ArcGIS Online (AGOL) application that allows the user to extract ("clip and ship") RAVG thematic data from national mosaics by either a predefined area (e.g., a National Forest) or a user-drawn polygon.