Recorded by satellite 26 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 strongest of the 7 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 25 June 2026. The last comparable one was on 25 July 2026. 5 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 32 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 1416 MW, at high confidence, 17 km from Bethal.
The 32 pixels cover about 4.5 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.
An estimated 38,218 people live within 35 km of this point.
Nearby, since 25 June 2026
- July 24, 2026 · score 67 · 6.8 km
- August 6, 2026 · score 60 · 13.5 km
- July 25, 2026 · score 67 · 14.0 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 72 out of 100, at 84 % 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) | 72 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 84% |
| Coordinates | -26.5312, 29.6170 |
| Nearest City | Bethal (17 km) |
| Population Exposed | 38.2K within 35 km |
| Impact Tier | significant |
| Timestamp | 2026-08-06T12:51:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@29.617,-26.531,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 1415.74 |
| PixelCount | 32 |
| Confidence | high |
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 Bethal?
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 72/100, near Bethal (South Africa), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 185 scientific monitoring sources.