Satellite heat detection 360 km from Cairns
Right now
The most recent data we hold from NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) arrived 13 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.
22 satellite detections of this fire · 16 – 21 October 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Oct 15:54 | 641 MW | 337 km |
| 21 Oct 15:54 | 1,361 MW | 339 km |
| 21 Oct 15:09 | 711 MW | 339 km |
| 21 Oct 15:09 | 1,263 MW | 339 km |
| 21 Oct 04:02 | 992 MW | 340 km |
| 20 Oct 16:13 | 719 MW | 340 km |
| 20 Oct 16:13 | 1,645 MW | 343 km |
| 20 Oct 16:13 | 750 MW | 344 km |
| 20 Oct 15:31 | 1,552 MW | 344 km |
| 20 Oct 04:19 | 1,438 MW | 344 km |
| 20 Oct 04:19 | 1,212 MW | 344 km |
| 20 Oct 03:23 | 657 MW | 345 km |
| 19 Oct 16:33 | 1,552 MW | 343 km |
| 19 Oct 16:33 | 803 MW | 343 km |
| 19 Oct 15:48 | 1,428 MW | 343 km |
| 19 Oct 14:52 | 1,164 MW | 342 km |
| 19 Oct 04:40 | 849 MW | 341 km |
| 19 Oct 04:40 | 1,125 MW | 342 km |
| 18 Oct 16:07 | 1,143 MW | 355 km |
| 18 Oct 16:07 | 656 MW | 340 km |
| 18 Oct 15:09 | 1,078 MW | 356 km |
| 16 Oct 03:55 | 2,070 MW | 360 km |
Recorded by satellite 15 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 30 recorded within 20 km of this point since 5 June 2026 — 18 others scored the same. The last comparable one was on 15 October 2026. 2 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 144 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 2070 MW, at nominal confidence, 360 km from Cairns.
The 144 pixels cover about 20.2 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 43 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 v5. Rows carrying other versions were judged by different rules and are not directly comparable.
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 | Medium |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 43 / 100 |
| Legacy data-support index | 0.54/1 |
| Coordinates | -16.5123, 142.4206 |
| Nearest city | Cairns (360 km) |
| Urban exposure index (PEI) | 0 within 50 km |
| Impact tier | minor |
| Timestamp | 2026-10-16T03:55:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@142.421,-16.512,9z |
| Licence | US public domain (NASA) · NASA FIRMS (LANCE) |
Physical priority index · v5. 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: 2026-10-16T03:55:00.000Z.
First archived: 2026-10-16T06:24:41.802Z. Material modification: 2026-10-22T00:02:50.570Z.
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 | 2069.57 |
| PixelCount | 144 |
| Confidence | nominal |
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