Recorded by satellite 49 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 39 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 8 March 2026. The last comparable one was on 13 July 2026. 9 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 77 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 726 MW, at nominal confidence, 74 km from Kutu.
The 77 pixels cover about 10.8 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.
Nearby, since 8 March 2026
- June 2, 2026 · score 27 · 6.5 km
- July 13, 2026 · score 40 · 7.8 km
- July 2, 2026 · score 36 · 7.9 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 40 out of 100, at 54 % 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) | 40 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 54% |
| Coordinates | -3.3825, 18.0977 |
| Nearest City | Kutu (74 km) |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Date | 2026-07-14 — time not reported by the source |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@18.098,-3.382,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 355.51 |
| Frp | 725.88 |
| PixelCount | 77 |
| Confidence | nominal |
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 in this area?
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 40/100 (DR Congo), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 185 scientific monitoring sources.