Right now
The most recent data we hold from NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) arrived 5 minutes ago, and this point is in it.
One other detection within 20 km in the last 24 hours, 7 km from here.
Recorded by satellite today.
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 4th strongest of the 80 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 12 May 2026. Another comparable one was recorded here earlier the same day.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 60 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 272 MW, at high confidence, 9 km from Liwonde.
The 60 pixels cover about 8.4 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.
An estimated 96,189 people live within 50 km of this point.
Wind from SE at 21 km/h at 21:00 UTC, according to MET Norway.
Nearby, since 12 May 2026
- August 11, 2026 · score 44 · 0.6 km
- August 31, 2026 · score 44 · 0.9 km
- June 18, 2026 · score 39 · 1.3 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 44 out of 100, at 74 % confidence.
The score is ours, computed from intensity, exposed population and local history — not the source’s.
Wind: MET Norway Locationforecast, CC BY 4.0.
Computed under scoring rules v4. Rows carrying other versions were judged by different rules and are not directly comparable.
Event Data
| Type | Wildfires |
| Severity | Critical |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 44 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 74% |
| Coordinates | -15.1434, 35.2611 |
| Nearest City | Liwonde (9 km) |
| Population Exposed | 96.2K within 50 km |
| Impact Tier | severe |
| Timestamp | 2026-09-07T11:57:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@35.261,-15.143,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 271.6 |
| PixelCount | 60 |
| Confidence | high |
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 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.
Want to know when something happens near Liwonde?
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
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 44/100, near Liwonde (Malawi), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 185 scientific monitoring sources.