Satellite heat detection 526 km from Cairns
Right now
The most recent data we hold from NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) arrived 11 hours 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.
82 satellite detections of this fire · 13 June – 10 July 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Jul 23:55 | 647 MW | 528 km |
| 10 Jul 12:33 | 641 MW | 528 km |
| 9 Jul 23:58 | 669 MW | 528 km |
| 7 Jul 23:56 | 1,098 MW | 540 km |
| 7 Jul 06:10 | 1,043 MW | 541 km |
| 6 Jul 23:56 | 1,178 MW | 518 km |
| 6 Jul 06:26 | 806 MW | 517 km |
| 6 Jul 06:21 | 508 MW | 517 km |
| 5 Jul 23:55 | 577 MW | 517 km |
| 5 Jul 17:28 | 565 MW | 518 km |
| 5 Jul 06:49 | 21 MW | 507 km |
| 4 Jul 23:56 | 103 MW | 531 km |
| 4 Jul 23:56 | 796 MW | 521 km |
| 4 Jul 17:50 | 791 MW | 520 km |
| 4 Jul 07:09 | 752 MW | 520 km |
| 4 Jul 00:00 | 1,129 MW | 519 km |
| 3 Jul 18:08 | 1,115 MW | 519 km |
| 3 Jul 10:00 | 167 MW | 502 km |
| 3 Jul 07:30 | 736 MW | 514 km |
| 3 Jul 05:48 | 543 MW | 514 km |
| 2 Jul 23:57 | 1,026 MW | 521 km |
| 2 Jul 23:57 | 273 MW | 502 km |
| 2 Jul 18:30 | 1,025 MW | 521 km |
| 2 Jul 06:02 | 153 MW | 537 km |
| 2 Jul 06:02 | 210 MW | 501 km |
| 1 Jul 23:55 | 1,105 MW | 515 km |
| 1 Jul 16:58 | 1,103 MW | 515 km |
| 1 Jul 11:24 | 68 MW | 560 km |
| 1 Jul 11:24 | 252 MW | 508 km |
| 30 Jun 23:55 | 862 MW | 547 km |
and 52 earlier detections
Recorded by satellite 136 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 34th strongest of the 63 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 19 May 2026. The last comparable one was on 7 June 2026. One more was recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 38 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 364 MW, at high confidence, 526 km from Cairns.
The 38 pixels cover about 5.3 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 19 May 2026
- May 20, 2026 · score 45 · 5.3 km
- September 18, 2026 · 7.5 km
- September 18, 2026 · 7.5 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 27 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 “High” 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 “Low”.
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 | Low |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 27 / 100 |
| Legacy data-support index | 0.54/1 |
| Coordinates | -14.4118, 141.6052 |
| Nearest city | Cairns (526 km) |
| Urban exposure index (PEI) | 0 within 35 km |
| Impact tier | minor |
| Timestamp | 2026-06-13T21:05:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@141.605,-14.412,9z |
| 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: 2026-06-13T21:05:00.000Z.
First archived: 2026-06-13T23:56:57.810Z. Material modification: 2026-07-10T23:55:52.625Z.
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 | 364.12 |
| PixelCount | 38 |
| 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
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).
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