As part of this project we conducted a thorough review of studies that use remote sensing to characterize both active fire behavior and post-fire effects. In September 2006, we published the following review paper in the International Journal of Wildland Fire:
 

Lentile, L.B, Holden, Z. Smith, A.M.S., Falkowski M.J., Hudak, A.T.,  Morgan, P., Gessler, P.E.and Benson, N.C., 2006 Remote sensing techniques to assess active fire and post-fire effects, International Journal of Wildland Fire, 15, 3, 319-345.

(Link to PDF)

It was the Feature Paper of Issue 3 and is highlighted by the journal as the most downloaded paper in the last twelve months.

Abstract: Space and airborne sensors have been used to map area burned, assess characteristics of active fires and characterize post-fire ecological effects. Confusion about fire intensity, fire severity, burn severity, and related terms can result in the potential misuse of the inferred information by land managers and remote sensing practitioners who require unambiguous remote sensing products for fire management. The objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of current and potential remote sensing methods used to assess fire behavior and effects and to describe ecological responses to fire. We clarify the terminology to facilitate development and interpretation of comprehensible and defensible remote-sensing products, present the potential and limitations of a variety of approaches for remotely measuring active fires and their post-fire ecological effects, and discuss challenges and future directions of fire-related remote sensing research.

Above. Landsat imagery of the Jasper Fire, South Dakota. Left: False Color composite highlighting the different burn areas. Middle: dNBR map, and Right: Map showing the fractional cover of charcoal immediately post-fire.