Satellite heat detection 338 km from Palmerston
Right now
The most recent data we hold from NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) arrived 17 minutes 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.
415 satellite detections of this fire · 27 August – 5 September 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Sept 05:04 | 170 MW | 7 km |
| 4 Sept 05:25 | 252 MW | 6 km |
| 4 Sept 05:25 | 525 MW | 6 km |
| 4 Sept 04:27 | 192 MW | 6 km |
| 4 Sept 04:27 | 480 MW | 5 km |
| 3 Sept 16:50 | 320 MW | 11 km |
| 3 Sept 16:50 | 809 MW | 12 km |
| 3 Sept 05:42 | 141 MW | 23 km |
| 3 Sept 05:42 | 585 MW | 12 km |
| 3 Sept 05:42 | 806 MW | 12 km |
| 3 Sept 05:42 | 588 MW | 13 km |
| 3 Sept 04:02 | 502 MW | 14 km |
| 3 Sept 04:02 | 330 MW | 15 km |
| 2 Sept 17:07 | 679 MW | 14 km |
| 2 Sept 05:06 | 642 MW | 14 km |
| 2 Sept 04:19 | 441 MW | 13 km |
| 1 Sept 17:28 | 1,089 MW | 13 km |
| 1 Sept 17:28 | 198 MW | 18 km |
| 1 Sept 16:33 | 649 MW | 340 km |
| 1 Sept 16:33 | 1,753 MW | 316 km |
| 1 Sept 16:33 | 1,440 MW | 12 km |
| 1 Sept 16:33 | 438 MW | 338 km |
| 1 Sept 15:48 | 2,923 MW | 375 km |
| 1 Sept 15:46 | 732 MW | 479 km |
| 1 Sept 15:46 | 11,155 MW | 91 km |
| 1 Sept 15:46 | 15,382 MW | 128 km |
| 1 Sept 15:46 | 1,420 MW | 12 km |
| 1 Sept 15:46 | 2,071 MW | 398 km |
| 1 Sept 15:46 | 3,197 MW | 205 km |
| 1 Sept 05:25 | 693 MW | 491 km |
and 385 earlier detections
Recorded by satellite 48 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 one of only 3 we have recorded within 20 km of this point since 2 June 2026. The last comparable one was on 31 August 2026.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 26 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 272 MW, at high confidence, 338 km from Palmerston.
The 26 pixels cover about 3.6 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 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 v2. 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 | -12.2448, 134.0779 |
| Nearest city | Palmerston (338 km) |
| Urban exposure index (PEI) | 0 within 35 km |
| Impact tier | minor |
| Timestamp | 2026-09-01T03:45:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@134.078,-12.245,9z |
| Licence | US public domain (NASA) · NASA FIRMS (LANCE) |
Physical priority index · v2. 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: 2026-09-01T03:45:00.000Z.
First archived: 2026-07-28T17:04:43.850Z. Material modification: 2026-09-05T21:02:07.994Z.
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 | 272.36 |
| PixelCount | 26 |
| 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 · Australia
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)
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).
Review the area, threshold and delivery channel in your account.
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