Recorded by satellite 52 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 32 recorded within 20 km of this point since 18 May 2026 — one other scored the same. The last comparable one was on 8 July 2026. 5 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 58 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 606 MW, at high confidence, 8 km from Frischgewaagd.
The 58 pixels cover about 8.1 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 50,670 people live within 50 km of this point.
Nearby, since 18 May 2026
- July 14, 2026 · score 35 · 5.1 km
- July 22, 2026 · score 39 · 8.0 km
- May 18, 2026 · score 57 · 10.9 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 67 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) | 67 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 84% |
| Coordinates | -27.4167, 30.8699 |
| Nearest City | Frischgewaagd (8 km) |
| Population Exposed | 50.7K within 50 km |
| Impact Tier | severe |
| Timestamp | 2026-07-09T11:32:00.000Z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 605.99 |
| PixelCount | 58 |
| 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.
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 67/100, near Frischgewaagd (South Africa), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 194 scientific monitoring sources.