Satellite heat detection 91 km from Nsanje, Malawi
Right now
The most recent data we hold from NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) arrived 11 minutes ago, and this point is not in it. We record detections, not passes: an absence is not proof that nothing is there.
One other detection within 20 km in the last 24 hours, 14 km from here.
39 satellite detections of this fire · 7 – 18 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 11:45 | 350 MW | 62 km |
| 18 Oct 11:45 | 413 MW | 59 km |
| 18 Oct 11:45 | 319 MW | 58 km |
| 18 Oct 10:47 | 287 MW | 67 km |
| 17 Oct 12:02 | 198 MW | 59 km |
| 17 Oct 11:06 | 647 MW | 68 km |
| 16 Oct 12:21 | 637 MW | 65 km |
| 16 Oct 12:21 | 1,069 MW | 67 km |
| 16 Oct 11:25 | 408 MW | 57 km |
| 16 Oct 11:25 | 245 MW | 69 km |
| 16 Oct 10:43 | 892 MW | 86 km |
| 15 Oct 11:45 | 236 MW | 68 km |
| 15 Oct 11:45 | 321 MW | 68 km |
| 15 Oct 11:45 | 707 MW | 58 km |
| 15 Oct 11:45 | 648 MW | 58 km |
| 14 Oct 12:02 | 670 MW | 84 km |
| 14 Oct 10:21 | 426 MW | 88 km |
| 13 Oct 11:38 | 254 MW | 93 km |
| 12 Oct 11:00 | 350 MW | 103 km |
| 12 Oct 11:00 | 232 MW | 62 km |
| 12 Oct 11:00 | 106 MW | 61 km |
| 11 Oct 12:17 | 461 MW | 59 km |
| 11 Oct 10:34 | 906 MW | 94 km |
| 10 Oct 11:38 | 825 MW | 96 km |
| 10 Oct 11:38 | 1,249 MW | 93 km |
| 10 Oct 10:53 | 654 MW | 86 km |
| 9 Oct 11:55 | 301 MW | 61 km |
| 9 Oct 11:55 | 178 MW | 55 km |
| 9 Oct 11:10 | 284 MW | 77 km |
| 9 Oct 11:10 | 183 MW | 55 km |
and 9 earlier detections
Recorded by satellite 12 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 39th strongest of the 54 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 10 May 2026. The last comparable one was on 28 September 2026. 16 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 27 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 242 MW, at high confidence, 91 km from Nsanje.
The 27 pixels cover about 3.8 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 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 | Low |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 27 / 100 |
| Legacy data-support index | 0.54/1 |
| Coordinates | -16.8201, 34.4121 |
| Nearest city | Nsanje (91 km) |
| Urban exposure index (PEI) | 0 within 35 km |
| Impact tier | minor |
| Timestamp | 2026-10-07T10:53:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@34.412,-16.820,9z |
| 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: 2026-10-07T10:53:00.000Z.
First archived: 2026-10-07T12:46:47.456Z. Material modification: 2026-10-18T14:25:04.761Z.
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 | 242.43 |
| PixelCount | 27 |
| 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 · Malawi
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).
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