What FRP can describe
FRP can help compare the radiative signal of observations when the field is present and the sensor context is understood. ThermalGlobe preserves the raw megawatt value.
What FRP does not mean
- It is not the burned area or perimeter.
- It is not local air or ground temperature.
- It is not an evacuation-risk score.
- It is not a guarantee of visible flame at the exact coordinate.
- A lower or missing value does not establish safety.
Display choices
The initial map does not call FRP severity. If marker sizing later uses FRP, it will be log-clipped for readability and labelled as a visual scale—not fire size.
Why FRP comparisons need context
Viewing angle, pixel footprint, cloud, smoke and partial coverage can change how much radiative energy reaches the instrument. Two values from different sensors or passes are therefore not a clean before-and-after measure of total fire behaviour. A single observation can also contain several heat sources inside one pixel.
Read FRP together with sensor, scan and track fields, observation time, neighbouring detections and source status. For operational intensity, containment or threat information, use current reports from the authority managing the incident.