Wildfires
Right now
The most recent data we hold from NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) arrived 2 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.
Recorded by satellite 120 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 5th strongest of the 5 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 14 May 2026. The last comparable one was on 15 May 2026. 4 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 30 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 284 MW, at nominal confidence, 698 km from Port Hedland.
The 30 pixels cover about 4.2 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.
Wind from NE at 14 km/h at 04:00 UTC, according to MET Norway.
Nearby, since 14 May 2026
- May 15, 2026 · score 60 · 8.2 km
- May 15, 2026 · score 54 · 10.5 km
- May 14, 2026 · score 60 · 19.6 km
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, at 54 % 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 v1. Rows carrying other versions were judged by different rules and are not directly comparable.
Event Data
| Type | Wildfires |
| Severity | High |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 27 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 54% |
| Coordinates | -17.6992, 124.6487 |
| Nearest City | Port Hedland (698 km) |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Date | 2026-05-16 — time not reported by the source |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@124.649,-17.699,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 352.16 |
| Frp | 283.67 |
| PixelCount | 30 |
| 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 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.
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