Burn feeds for dispatch and GIS
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Your burn feed lets dispatch and mapping tools show today's registered burns, so a smoke report can be checked against a known burn. Redmond Fire & Rescue uses it with Intterra.
What the feed contains
Today's registered burns in your area (today in your agency's timezone), with location, address, the burner's name and contact details, status and scheduled time. Cancelled burns are left out. The feed is read-only.
Because the feed carries residents' contact details, it is opt-in: your agency chooses to turn it on, and it covers your area only. Residents agree to this sharing when they register.
Turn it on
- Open your agency's integration settings.
- Issue a token. Copy it straight away: it is shown only once.
- Give your GIS or dispatch team the token and the feed address.
Rotate the token if it was shared by mistake: the old one stops working at once. Revoke it to turn the feed off at once.
Feed addresses
| Format | Address |
|---|---|
| JSON | https://beforeyouburn.com/api/v1/feeds/{your-agency}/burns/today |
| CSV | https://beforeyouburn.com/api/v1/feeds/{your-agency}/burns/today.csv |
One token works for both. Send it as a header, Authorization: Bearer {token} (recommended), or add ?token={token} to the address when the tool cannot set a header.
These addresses and field names stay the same for existing integrations. If they ever change, we publish a retirement schedule first.
Intterra, Tablet Command, First Due
Add an external JSON data source with the JSON address and token. Map lat and lng to the point, and show contact_name, contact_phone, contact_email, address, status and id in pop-ups. Refresh every 5 to 15 minutes in the daytime.
ArcGIS Online
In Map Viewer choose Add layer from URL, type CSV, and use the CSV address with ?token=. Map latitude and longitude to the point. Burns without coordinates are left out of the CSV.
Good practice
- Treat the token as a password. Never put it in a public map or page.
- Show the layer only to staff who need burners' contact details.
- A registered burn is not proof that burning is allowed or safe.