504 error when downloading VIIRS active fire files from FIRMS API

[tmccabe]

Hello!

We run an algorithm that sometimes downloads several months worth of VIIRS SNPP Active Fire Standard Product data from https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/api/. We do a Pandas read_csv(url) call from the API to get our data. Today, we noticed that we could download a few files successfully, but afterwards would get a 504 error. It looked to us like it might be some sort of rate-limit, but we also saw some 504 errors when trying to manually navigate the API.


Was there an API outage? Or is this a product of a rate-limit?


Example of one error message:

`Error while downloading SNPP SP for 2025-03-29 00:00:00: HTTP Error 504: Gateway Time-out.`

Thanks!

[FIRMS - dylan.mendes]

Hi @tmccabe ,

As far as we are aware there was no outage to our API. Yes we do have a standard limit of 5000 transactions / 10-minute interval. On the sign up for a MapKey it says, larger transactions may count as multiple requests (ex. requesting 7 days). We can increase your MapKey limit, but we will need your email to do that.

I suggest contacting us on the feedback module (directly to FIRMS team) on the FIRMS website, and we can address your concerns on the rate limit there and/or increase it.

[ottopegotti]

Hi, even though some times my callings work, I receive 504 errors nowadays : 504 Server Error: Gateway Time-out for url: https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/api/country/csv/my_map_key/MODIS_NRT/country/1 previouslymy code was perfectly working

[triszlers]

I'm also having no success today using my map_key just to establish a connection, certainly shouldn't be exceeding a rate limit. Is there a longer term or total rate limit I'm unaware of, other than 5000 transactions / 10 minutes?

When I tried to go to the API docs I also got a 504 error. Is this outage expected or temporary?

[FIRMS - dylan.mendes]

Hi @triszlers & @ottopegotti ,

There is a temporary unexpected outage of the FIRMS API due to website slowness. I do not have a full resolution time, however, you may check here, https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/notifications/firms/outages.html, for outage and resolution information.