CNN-BiLSTM: A Novel Deep Learning Model for Near-Real-Time Daily Wildfire Spread Prediction

Wildfires significantly threaten ecosystems and human lives, necessitating effective prediction models for the management of this destructive phenomenon. This study integrates Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) modules to develop a novel deep learning model called CNN-BiLSTM for near-real-time wildfire spread prediction to capture spatial and temporal patterns. This study uses the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) active fire product and a wide range of environmental variables, including topography, land cover, temperature, NDVI, wind informaiton, precipitation, soil moisture, and runoff to train the CNN-BiLSTM model. A comprehensive exploration of parameter configurations and settings was conducted to optimize the model’s performance. The evaluation results and their comparison with benchmark models, such as a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and CNN-LSTM models, demonstrate the effectiveness of the CNN-BiLSTM model with IoU of F1 Score of 0.58 and 0.73 for validation and training sets, respectively. This innovative approach offers a promising avenue for enhancing wildfire management efforts through its capacity for near-real-time prediction, marking a significant step forward in mitigating the impact of wildfires.