Recorded by satellite 41 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 42 recorded within 20 km of this point since 14 March 2026 — 2 others scored the same. The last comparable one was on 21 July 2026. 12 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 159 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 1224 MW, at high confidence, 23 km from Bolobo.
The 159 pixels cover about 22.3 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.
An estimated 24,965 people live within 50 km of this point.
Nearby, since 14 March 2026
- August 11, 2026 · score 39 · 3.7 km
- June 30, 2026 · score 52 · 3.7 km
- July 6, 2026 · score 48 · 5.7 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 58 out of 100, at 74 % 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) | 58 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 74% |
| Coordinates | -2.3694, 16.2558 |
| Nearest City | Bolobo (23 km) |
| Population Exposed | 25.0K within 50 km |
| Impact Tier | significant |
| Timestamp | 2026-07-22T12:38:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@16.256,-2.369,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 1223.87 |
| PixelCount | 159 |
| Confidence | high |
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 Bolobo?
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 58/100, near Bolobo (DR Congo), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 185 scientific monitoring sources.