Recorded by satellite 35 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.
No stronger detection stands among the 37 recorded within 20 km of this point since 16 May 2026 — 5 others scored the same. Another comparable one was recorded here earlier the same day. 4 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 80 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 1262 MW, at high confidence, 96 km from Chavuma.
The 80 pixels cover about 11.2 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 16 May 2026
- May 16, 2026 · score 40 · 7.2 km
- August 27, 2026 · score 46 · 13.1 km
- July 18, 2026 · score 60 · 16.4 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 60 out of 100, at 64 % confidence.
The score is ours, computed from intensity, exposed population and local history — not the source’s.
Event Data
| Type | Wildfire |
| Severity | critical |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 60 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 64% |
| Coordinates | -13.0743, 21.7932 |
| Nearest City | Chavuma (96 km) |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Date | 2026-07-26 — time not reported by the source |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 1261.81 |
| PixelCount | 80 |
| Confidence | high |
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.
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 60/100, near Chavuma (Zambia), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 191 scientific monitoring sources.