This dataset represents the two Fire Danger Rating Areas that encompass the Sawtooth National Forest.

A fire danger rating area (FDRA) is a geographic area relatively homogenous in climate, fuels and topography, tens of thousands of acres in size, within which the fire danger can be assumed to be uniform. Its size and shape is primarily based on influences of fire danger, not political boundaries. It is the basic on-the-ground unit for which unique fire management decisions are made based on fire danger ratings.

The National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) is a system that allows fire managers to estimate today's or tomorrow's fire danger for a given area defined as a Fire Danger Rating Area (FDRA). Managers use NFDRS to input data and to receive information used to determine fire danger in an FDRA. Based on the fire danger, managers may impose restrictions or closures to public lands, plan for or pre-position staff and equipment to fight new fires, and make decisions whether to suppress or allow fires to burn under prescribed conditions.

The current National Fire Danger Rating System is utilized by all federal and most state agencies to assess fire danger conditions. FDRA's are given an "Adjective Rating" that describe the relative severity of the current fire danger situation in a general area. There are five color-coded adjective ratings:

Low (Dark Green)

Moderate (Light Green or Blue)

High (Yellow)

Very High (Orange)

Extreme (Red)

Adjective Ratings are generally posted on signs as visitor enter public lands or at agency offices. Many people associate these signs as "Smokey Bear signs."