Major Wildfire
Recorded by satellite 115 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 7 recorded within 20 km of this point since 7 May 2026 — 4 others scored the same. Another comparable one was recorded here earlier the same day. 5 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 68 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 261 MW, at nominal confidence, 571 km from Mount Isa.
The 68 pixels cover about 9.5 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 7 May 2026
- May 8, 2026 · score 46 · 0.2 km
- May 8, 2026 · score 46 · 0.6 km
- May 8, 2026 · score 45 · 2.8 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 46 out of 100, at 64 % 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) | 46 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 64% |
| Coordinates | -16.9663, 135.8145 |
| Nearest City | Mount Isa (571 km) |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Date | 2026-05-08 — time not reported by the source |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@135.815,-16.966,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 356.01 |
| Frp | 260.87 |
| PixelCount | 68 |
| Confidence | nominal |
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 Mount Isa?
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 46/100, based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 188 scientific monitoring sources.