Using Google Earth

The first requirement is that you have downloaded and installed Google Earth version 4 on your computer<download>. Once you have Google Earth up and running we can begin to add new data. 

Click Get Fire & Smoke Layers and when prompted choose open with Google Earth. This will add all of the currently provided layers to your Google Earth view. When you exit Google Earth you will have the option of saving this link to your list of places. Doing this will allow Google Earth to always load the most up to date information each time it starts.

The forecast data takes advantage of a new feature in Google Earth, the ability to time stamp data. Currently the forecasts produce data each hour for a 72 hour period. The different times can be viewed using the time slider at the top of the Google Earth map window.

The large triangle to the right of the time bar will cycle through all of the times as an animation (pressing again will stop). The tallest vertical bars inside the timeline define the window in time that is visible. The user can stretch these out to view a wide range of times at once. By grabbing the center of this time marker, the user can easily move forward and backwards in time.