Satellite heat detection 81 km from Luena, Angola
Right now
The most recent data we hold from NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) arrived 14 minutes ago, and this point is not in it. We record detections, not passes: an absence is not proof that nothing is there.
Nothing else has been detected within 20 km in the last 24 hours.
915 satellite detections of this fire · 20 May – 12 August 2026
A satellite sees a burning fire on each of its passes. This page gathers every detection of this fire; the address of each one leads here.
| Day and time (UTC) | Radiative power | Distance from the town |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 23:48 | 595 MW | 112 km |
| 12 Aug 23:48 | 1,167 MW | 82 km |
| 12 Aug 12:42 | 660 MW | 51 km |
| 12 Aug 12:42 | 612 MW | 70 km |
| 12 Aug 12:42 | 565 MW | 27 km |
| 12 Aug 12:42 | 579 MW | 112 km |
| 12 Aug 12:42 | 1,264 MW | 83 km |
| 12 Aug 12:42 | 1,166 MW | 82 km |
| 12 Aug 12:42 | 492 MW | 93 km |
| 12 Aug 12:42 | 446 MW | 122 km |
| 12 Aug 12:40 | 359 MW | 116 km |
| 12 Aug 12:40 | 640 MW | 81 km |
| 12 Aug 12:40 | 120 MW | 140 km |
| 12 Aug 07:00 | 303 MW | 137 km |
| 12 Aug 07:00 | 494 MW | 153 km |
| 12 Aug 07:00 | 356 MW | 146 km |
| 12 Aug 05:00 | 296 MW | 37 km |
| 12 Aug 05:00 | 473 MW | 85 km |
| 12 Aug 05:00 | 466 MW | 107 km |
| 12 Aug 05:00 | 539 MW | 130 km |
| 12 Aug 05:00 | 446 MW | 110 km |
| 12 Aug 02:00 | 296 MW | 37 km |
| 12 Aug 02:00 | 466 MW | 85 km |
| 12 Aug 02:00 | 391 MW | 107 km |
| 12 Aug 02:00 | 863 MW | 138 km |
| 11 Aug 13:30 | 1,120 MW | 124 km |
| 11 Aug 13:30 | 625 MW | 119 km |
| 11 Aug 13:30 | 255 MW | 51 km |
| 11 Aug 13:30 | 837 MW | 19 km |
| 11 Aug 13:30 | 184 MW | 136 km |
and 885 earlier detections
Recorded by satellite 93 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.
It is the 11th strongest of the 57 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 15 May 2026. The last comparable one was on 23 July 2026. 6 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 81 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 908 MW, at high confidence, 81 km from Luena.
The 81 pixels cover about 11.3 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 May 2026
- May 15, 2026 · score 27 · 19.1 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 36 out of 100.
This is our versioned heuristic index, not source severity or a calibrated probability. Urban PEI does not count unique people.
Computed under scoring rules v1. Rows carrying other versions were judged by different rules and are not directly comparable.
Archived as “Critical” under the rule in force until 4 October 2026, which read the radiative power and the people nearby. A satellite sees heat, not an emergency: since then every detection is shown as low or medium; this one as “Medium”.
Series begins 8 March 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.
Event data
| Type | Satellite heat detection |
| Severity | Medium |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 36 / 100 |
| Legacy data-support index | 0.54/1 |
| Coordinates | -11.0984, 19.6480 |
| Nearest city | Luena (81 km) |
| Urban exposure index (PEI) | 0 within 50 km |
| Impact tier | minor |
| Date | 2026-07-26, time not reported by the source |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@19.648,-11.098,9z |
| Licence | US public domain (NASA) · NASA FIRMS (LANCE) |
Physical priority index · v1. Heuristic priority, not calibrated probability, predictive accuracy or damage. The legacy data-support index combines assigned source support and field availability. Urban PEI is distance-weighted and does not count unique people; zero does not establish that nobody is present. Model cards.
Source and revision timeline
Source: firms. Occurrence: 2026-07-26, time not reported by the source.
First archived: 2026-07-26T13:41:08.000Z. Material modification: 2026-08-13T15:38:11.763Z.
Retained revisions are prospective; earlier versions may be unavailable. No revision entry does not prove that a record never changed.
Score breakdown
Technical details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 908.21 |
| PixelCount | 81 |
| Confidence | high |
Safety information
What to do near a wildfire
A satellite saw heat here. It cannot tell a wildfire from a controlled burn or an industrial flame, and it sees nothing under thick cloud. If you see smoke or flames, call the local emergency number and follow the fire service. Evacuation orders come from local authorities, not from this page.
For this reportSatellite heat detection · Angola
Leave when told, early
When authorities order an evacuation, go at once. Do not wait to see the flames: fire moves faster than you can run.
Ready.govTrapped? Call for help
Call the emergency number and give your location. Stay in a building or a car rather than in the open, with doors and windows shut.
Ready.govProtect yourself from smoke
Stay indoors with windows closed, use an air purifier if you have one, and wear an N95/FFP2 mask outside.
AirNow · Ready.gov
Before, during, after. Here it is “after”.
Before · In fire season
Get the alerts
Official alerts on your phone, so an evacuation order reaches you.
Plan two ways out
Know two routes away from home and practise them.
Clear around the house
Remove dry leaves, wood and anything that burns from around the walls.
A bag by the door
Documents, medicines, chargers, masks, water.
Ready.gov (FEMA)
During · While the fire is near
Go at once if ordered
Follow the routes authorities give.
Shut the smoke out
Close windows and doors; set the air conditioning to recirculate.
Keep outdoor effort low
Smoke harms lungs and heart, most of all in children, older people and those with asthma.
Ready.gov (FEMA) · AirNow
After · When the fire has passed
Return when it is declared safe
Roads, trees and power lines can still be dangerous.
Beware hot spots
Ash and the ground can stay hot enough to burn for days.
Clean up protected
Gloves, long sleeves, sturdy shoes and a mask; wet the ash before moving it.
Ready.gov (FEMA)
If a life is in danger
Call your local emergency number
Questions people ask
Does a satellite detection mean a wildfire?
Not always. A satellite sees heat: a wildfire, a controlled burn, a flare or an industrial plant. If you see smoke or flames, call the local emergency number and follow the fire service.
Do cloth masks protect from smoke?
Not much. A well-fitting N95 (FFP2 in Europe) filters the fine particles; cloth and surgical masks let most of them through. Source: AirNow (US EPA).
When can I go home?
Only when authorities say the area is safe. Source: Ready.gov (FEMA).
Review the area, threshold and delivery channel in your account.
In the news nearby
A list of links found by GDELT for this place and this hazard in the last seven days. External, not ours: we have not read them and do not vouch for them.
No news is listed: GDELT was not available when this page was rendered.
GDELT Project · gdeltproject.org