Recorded by satellite 102 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 31st strongest of the 61 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 8 March 2026. The last comparable one was on 19 May 2026. 8 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 36 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 286 MW, at high confidence, 122 km from Lusambo.
The 36 pixels cover about 5.0 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 29, 2026 · score 27 · 1.2 km
- June 4, 2026 · score 54 · 1.6 km
- May 21, 2026 · score 32 · 6.2 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 32 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 | high |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 32 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 54% |
| Coordinates | -5.0165, 24.5429 |
| Nearest City | Lusambo (122 km) |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Timestamp | 2026-05-20T12:14:00.000Z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 286.43 |
| PixelCount | 36 |
| 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 32/100, near Lusambo (DR Congo), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 194 scientific monitoring sources.