Recorded by satellite 105 days ago.
A thermal anomaly is a snapshot of one satellite pass, not a record of a fire’s life: we cannot say whether it kept burning after that pass.
The last comparable one was on 12 May 2026. One more was recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 6 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 113 MW, at nominal confidence, 142 km from Babamba.
The 6 pixels cover about 0.8 km² — that is the footprint of the detection grid at 375 m resolution, not an estimate of how much land burned.
FIRMS does not report burned area, and neither do we.
Nearby, since 15 March 2026
- March 20, 2026 · score 40 · 9.1 km
- May 12, 2026 · score 54 · 24.9 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 32 out of 100, at 54 % confidence.
The score is ours, computed from intensity, exposed population and local history — not the source’s.
Event Data
| Type | Wildfire |
| Severity | high |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 32 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 54% |
| Coordinates | -0.9614, 26.9023 |
| Nearest City | Babamba (142 km) |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Timestamp | 2026-05-18T11:13:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@26.902,-0.961,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 348.88 |
| Frp | 113.39 |
| PixelCount | 6 |
| Confidence | nominal |
Cascade Risks
Safety Information
If a wildfire is approaching: follow evacuation orders immediately. Do not wait to see the fire. Close all windows and doors, remove combustible materials from around your home, and have an emergency go-bag ready. Air quality can deteriorate rapidly even at distance from the fire front — monitor local air quality advisories.
Series begins 10 February 2026. Comparisons refer to that period only. Collection gap: 14-26 August 2026.
This data is aggregated algorithmically from scientific sources. Not a replacement for official emergency warnings.
Want to know when something happens near Babamba?
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 32/100 (DR Congo), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 188 scientific monitoring sources.