Recorded by satellite 106 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 34th strongest of the 96 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 13 May 2026. The last comparable one was on 16 May 2026. 3 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 18 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 116 MW, at high confidence, 136 km from Lukula.
The 18 pixels cover about 2.5 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.
Nearby, since 13 May 2026
- June 9, 2026 · score 60 · 2.3 km
- July 13, 2026 · score 54 · 6.9 km
- August 5, 2026 · score 36 · 12.6 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 45 out of 100, at 64 % confidence.
The score is ours, computed from intensity, exposed population and local history — not the source’s.
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) | 45 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 64% |
| Coordinates | -4.3183, 25.0227 |
| Nearest City | Lukula (136 km) |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Timestamp | 2026-05-18T11:10:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@25.023,-4.318,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 115.83 |
| PixelCount | 18 |
| 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 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?
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 45/100 (DR Congo), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 185 scientific monitoring sources.