Right now
The most recent data we hold from NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) arrived 24 minutes ago, and this point is not in it. We record detections, not passes: an absence is not proof that nothing is there.
Recorded by satellite 2 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.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 117 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 981 MW, at high confidence, 27 km from Kongolo.
The 117 pixels cover about 16.4 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.
Urban PEI: 39,243 within a heuristic 50 km radius; not unique people.
Wind from ESE at 13 km/h at 17:00 UTC, according to MET Norway.
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 48 out of 100.
This is our versioned heuristic index, not source severity or a calibrated probability. Urban PEI does not count unique people.
Wind: MET Norway Locationforecast, CC BY 4.0.
Computed under scoring rules v4. Rows carrying other versions were judged by different rules and are not directly comparable.
Event Data
| Type | Wildfires |
| Severity | Critical |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 48 / 100 |
| Legacy data-support index | 0.74/1 |
| Coordinates | -5.3635, 27.2463 |
| Nearest City | Kongolo (27 km) |
| Urban exposure index (PEI) | 39.2K within 50 km |
| Impact Tier | significant |
| Timestamp | 2026-09-13T11:49:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@27.246,-5.363,9z |
Physical priority index · v4 (historical). Heuristic priority, not calibrated probability, predictive accuracy or damage. The legacy data-support index combines assigned source support and field availability. Urban PEI is distance-weighted and does not count unique people; zero does not establish that nobody is present. Model cards.
Source and revision timeline
Source: firms. Occurrence: 2026-09-13T11:49:00.000Z.
First archived: 2026-09-13T13:39:40.043Z. Material modification: not recorded.
Retained revisions are prospective; earlier versions may be unavailable. No revision entry does not prove that a record never changed.
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 980.61 |
| PixelCount | 117 |
| Confidence | high |
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.
Review the area, threshold and delivery channel in your account.
Want to know when something happens near Kongolo?
In the news nearby
A list of links found by GDELT for this place and this hazard in the last seven days. External, not ours: we have not read them and do not vouch for them.
No news is listed: GDELT was not available when this page was rendered.
GDELT Project · gdeltproject.org