The authors are solely responsible for the content of this technical presentation. The technical presentation does not necessarily reflect the official position of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), and its printing and distribution does not constitute an endorsement of views which may be expressed. Technical presentations are not subject to the formal peer review process by ASABE editorial committees; therefore, they are not to be presented as refereed publications. Citation of this work should state that it is from an ASABE meeting paper. EXAMPLE: Author's Last Name, Initials. 2008. Title of Presentation. ASABE Paper No. 08----. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE. For information about securing permission to reprint or reproduce a technical presentation, please contact ASABE at rutter@asabe.org or 269-429-0300 (2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, MI 49085-9659 USA). An ASABE Meeting Presentation Paper Number: 085216 Trends and Patterns in Luangwa River Valley Fires 2003 ~ 2007 Younggu Her, Graduate Student Virginia Tech, Biological Systems Engineering, Blacksburg VA, zorbist@vt.edu. Conrad Heatwole, Associate Professor Virginia Tech, Biological Systems Engineering, Blacksburg VA, heatwole@vt.edu. Dale Lewis, Country Director Wildlife Conservation Society, Lusaka, Zambia, dlewis@wcs.org. Alex Travis, Assistant Professor Baker Inst. of Animal Health, Cornell University, ajt32@cornell.edu. Written for presentation at the 2008 ASABE Annual International Meeting Sponsored by ASABE Rhode Island Convention Center Providence, Rhode Island June 29 – July 2, 2008 Abstract. Efforts at improving resource management, sustainability, and wildlife habitat in the Luangwa River Valley of Zambia includes community education to change the common practices of setting fires throughout the long dry season. Fires are set for many reasons -- to clear fields of last year's crop residue, to clear new land, to remove undergrowth for safety along roads and paths, accidentally, and sometimes apparently with little reason. The MODIS satellite data has been used to derive likely fire locations as a means of mapping fires from space. The algorithms use a combination of heat signature and smoke plumes to define the likelihood of a fire. Fire data from 2003-2007 for a regional area surrounding and including the Luangwa Valley were analyzed looking for spatial and temporal patterns in fire occurrence.