Best Practices for Mission Applications

Disaster Management and Monitoring of the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire

—Cherie Darnel, ITT Visual Information Solutions

In the event of large disasters, such as the destructive 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire in Colorado, a rapid assessment of the damage is necessary to grasp the severity and extent of the hard-hit areas. Responders and analysts need a way to easily understand and identify the scope of damaged regions, and quickly create visualizations that contain useful geospatial information reflecting conditions on the ground, in order to direct rescue team efforts. One important factor when analyzing a natural disaster is the evaluation of land cover change. This can be accomplished through a traditional image processing spectral analysis or through an object-based, spatial feature analysis. The results from an image analysis process can be provided in raster or vector format, depending on the needs of the user. The results often provide critical, time-sensitive information that can be used, for example, to update a geodatabase or creating a map for dissemination to emergency workers on the ground. This presentation will demonstrate how the use of advanced image processing and GIS tools adds a valuable asset to the rescue efforts used in fire natural disaster and emergency management.