Prescribed burning (PB) is one of the most prominent sources of PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) in the southeastern United States. The PB emissions estimates may have significant uncertainty because they are based on the burned areas reported to the state agencies when burners apply for burn permits. When no permit records are available, satellite‐derived products could be used as a substitute tool to provide burned area data. In order to evaluate burned areas from satellite‐derived products, we conducted a comparison between PB permit records and two satellite‐derived products, Blended Polar Geo Biomass Burning Emissions Product and Global Fire Emissions Database, in Georgia and Florida. The comparison results indicate that both satellite‐derived products underestimate seriously the burned areas compared to permit record data. They can capture a cluster of fires better than isolated fires but may misinterpret those small fires together as one big fire. Overall, current satellite‐derived products have limitations in estimating the burned areas of small fires and still need improvements.