Recorded by satellite 116 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 155 recorded within 20 km of this point since 7 May 2026 — 67 others scored the same. Another comparable one was recorded here earlier the same day. 3 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 370 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 1968 MW, at high confidence, 176 km from Palmerston.
The 370 pixels cover about 51.8 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.
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 48 % 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 | 48% |
| Coordinates | -13.4414, 132.2771 |
| Nearest City | Palmerston (176 km) |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Date | 2026-05-07 — time not reported by the source |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@132.277,-13.441,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 1968.3 |
| PixelCount | 370 |
| 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.
Want to know when something happens near Palmerston?
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 60/100 (Australia), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 188 scientific monitoring sources.