For several years the USDA Forest Service has been making advances to the airborne thermal infrared imaging capabilities for wildland fire detection and mapping. The new "Phoenix" system represents the first time that a high productivity, digital, geo-corrected product will be available for tactical fire intelligence and mapping. In conjunction with private-sector developers and suppliers, a complete system has been developed tailored to the unique requirements of the wildland firefighting community. Beginning with the 2003 fire season, two Phoenix systems were deployed in the United States for wildland fire detection and mapping missions. Included is an explanation of the imagery itself, the advanced GPS/intertial measurement unit and the resulting geo-corrected products, an operational orientation concerning the use of Phoenix and integrating Phoenix products into the incident command structure, and proposed future enhancements.