The objective of this project was to develop new high-resolution, 25m grid data layers to describe the wild fire hazard across New Zealand, utilising improved data sources like the Landcover Database 2 which was developed after the first iteration of this research in 2001.

Weather data measured over time across the NRFA weather station network were used to calculate average fire hazard during the worst 20% of days in the fire season. Mathematical surfaces were fitted to these data to enable estimation of standard fire weather indices (FWI) across New Zealand.

Results consisted of 7 new 25-m grid layers for fire weather indices (FWI) across New Zealand. From these initial FWI layers, additional derived layers of slope correction factor (SCF), fuel load (FL), rate of spread (ROS), and head fire intensity (HFI) were also calculated.

The results indicate considerable spatial variation in wildfire danger across New Zealand, this is increasingly evident with the new 25-m grids that were developed. The values of fuel load, fuel types and slope correction factor have improved as a result of using higher resolution underlying spatial data layers.