Wildfires in South Africa
Right now
The most recent data we hold from NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) arrived 8 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 58 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 7th strongest of the 37 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 6 June 2026. 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 21 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 192 MW, at high confidence, 41 km from Lebowakgomo.
The 21 pixels cover about 2.9 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 12 km/h at 00:00 UTC, according to MET Norway.
Nearby, since 6 June 2026
- July 11, 2026 · score 27 · 2.8 km
- July 22, 2026 · score 27 · 6.4 km
- July 29, 2026 · score 27 · 9.1 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 | -24.6646, 29.6209 |
| Nearest City | Lebowakgomo (41 km) |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Timestamp | 2026-07-11T10:56:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@29.621,-24.665,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 191.69 |
| PixelCount | 21 |
| 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 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.
Want to know when something happens in this area?
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
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 27/100 (South Africa), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 185 scientific monitoring sources.