Recorded by satellite 43 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 47 recorded within 20 km of this point since 16 May 2026 — 3 others scored the same. The last comparable one was on 11 July 2026. 5 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 136 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 1402 MW, at high confidence, 91 km from Chavuma.
The 136 pixels cover about 19.0 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
- July 25, 2026 · score 50 · 14.6 km
- August 12, 2026 · score 50 · 16.1 km
- July 26, 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 | -13.2102, 21.8528 |
| Nearest City | Chavuma (91 km) |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Timestamp | 2026-07-18T12:08:00.000Z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 1402.49 |
| PixelCount | 136 |
| 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.