The Copernicus Browser now includes a dedicated wildfire visualization layer to help track active blazes. This update uses Sentinel-2 satellite data to provide clear imagery, showing active fires in yellow and red while marking burned landscapes in darker shades. The tool allows for 10-meter resolution, offering a high level of detail for monitoring smoke and fire patterns globally.
This feature originated from a JavaScript script created by remote sensing expert Pierre Markuse. Previously, users had to input this script manually to view fire impacts. Simon Proud, a mission scientist at the European Space Agency, led the effort to make this a default setting within the browser to support easier public access to environmental data.
While other tools like NASA’s FIRMS system track fire activity globally, the Copernicus Browser offers superior resolution for specific sites. As fire seasons grow more intense across regions like North America and Europe, these higher-resolution images become more vital for situational awareness. The service remains free and open for anyone to use as they watch current wildfire conditions unfold.