Detected once by satellite, 167 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 3rd strongest of the 13 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 10 March 2026. The last comparable one was on 15 March 2026.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 16 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 126 MW, at nominal confidence, 17 km from Kruisfontein.
The 16 pixels cover about 2.2 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 2,505 people live within 20 km of this point.
Nearby, since 10 March 2026
- March 15, 2026 · score 35 · 0.2 km
- March 14, 2026 · score 52 · 0.6 km
- March 10, 2026 · score 47 · 8.0 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 35 out of 100, at 58 % confidence.
The score is ours, computed from intensity, exposed population and local history — not the source’s.
Event Data
| Type | Fire |
| Severity | high |
| Severity Value | 41.147999999999996 |
| Calamity Score | 35 / 100 |
| Confidence | 58% |
| Coordinates | -34.0299, 24.5451 |
| Nearest City | Kruisfontein (17 km) |
| Population Exposed | 2.5K within 20 km |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Timestamp | 2026-03-16T12:25:00.000Z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 355.48 |
| Frp | 125.74 |
| PixelCount | 16 |
| Confidence | nominal |
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 35/100, near Kruisfontein (South Africa), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 196 scientific monitoring sources.