The FireOccurrence point layer represents ignition points, or points of origin, from which individual USFS wildland fires started. Data are maintained at the Forest/District level, or their equivalent, to track the occurrence and the origin of individual USFS wildland fires.

Records in FireOccurrence include historical fire point records from a variety of sources. Since 1986, FIRESTAT, the Fire Statistics System computer application, has been the authoritative data source for all wildland fire occurrences on National Forest System Lands or National Forest-Protected Lands. FIRESTAT is used by the USFS to enter and maintain information from the Individual Wildland Fire Report (FS-5100-29). The Individual Wildland Fire Report is the record of fire occurrence required of all Forest Service units. FireOccurrence records include information entered into FIRESTAT, in addition to fire occurrences which pre-date the use of FIRESTAT.

Note: It is understood that fires which pre-date the use of FIRESTAT, may or may not represent the actual ignition point of any given wildland fire. Locations of historical wildfires are often a direct result of the rules for fire reporting at the time they were collected.

Prescribed fires are tracked in the Forest Service Activity Tracking System (FACTS) and should not be included in the FireOccurrence layer. In the event that a prescribed fire escapes, an Individual Wildland Fire Report is then required, and the fire location would be included in the FireOccurrence layer for only the area burned after escape.

FireOccurrence could be used to store historical ignitions pre-FIRESTAT, as temporary storage for ignition data that is not yet in FIRESTAT, or to provide quality control for verifying/correcting ignition locations and updating FIRESTAT (see attributes FIRESTATQC).