Comparison of the use of WiFS and LISS images to estimate the area burned in a large forest fire

We evaluate the utility of medium spatial resolution images from the Wide F ield Sensor (WiFS) for the estimation of the area burned in a large fire. T he performance of methodologies using these images is compared with similar methodologies using high spatial resolution image from the Linear Imaging and Self Scanning Sensor (LISS-III) and other ancillary data. Both sensors are located onboard the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite 1C (IRS-1C). The po st-fire LISS image was analysed by means of Matched Filtering (MF) techniqu es. Two WIFS images (pre- and post-fire) were analysed using MF techniques and also by means of changes in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Ground data were used to classify the three thematic images obtaine d in several post-fire classes. The results show a greater proportion of tr ansition areas between burned and unburned places and a slightly larger are a burned estimation in the WIFS than in the LISS analysis. Nevertheless, th e results obtained, and the comparisons with ground data, indicate that med ium spatial resolution images' estimation of the area burned is a useful to ol at regional and national scares.