Right now
The most recent data we hold from NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) arrived 21 minutes ago, and this point is not in it. We record detections, not passes: an absence is not proof that nothing is there.
Nothing else has been detected within 20 km in the last 24 hours.
Recorded by satellite 177 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 18th strongest of the 312 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 18 February 2024. Another comparable one was recorded here earlier the same day. 7 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 170 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 1737 MW, at high confidence, 43 km from Junction City.
The 170 pixels cover about 23.8 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.
Urban PEI: 3,442 within a heuristic 50 km radius; not unique people.
Wind from S at 35 km/h at 19:00 UTC, according to MET Norway.
Nearby, since 18 February 2024
- March 21, 2026 · score 40 · 15.9 km
- March 19, 2026 · score 72 · 18.3 km
- July 7, 2026 · score 27 · 19.0 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 54 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 v1. Rows carrying other versions were judged by different rules and are not directly comparable.
Under rules v1–v3, Critical for a wildfire measured only the radiative power the satellite saw, not the people near it; since v4 (1 September 2026) it also requires exposed population. This page keeps the word it was published with.
Event Data
| Type | Wildfires |
| Severity | Critical |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 54 / 100 |
| Legacy data-support index | 0.74/1 |
| Coordinates | 38.6569, -96.9610 |
| Nearest City | Junction City (43 km) |
| Urban exposure index (PEI) | 3.4K within 50 km |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Date | 2026-03-20 — time not reported by the source |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@-96.961,38.657,9z |
Physical priority index · v1. 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: 2026-03-20 — time not reported.
First archived: 2026-03-20T23:59:08.653Z. 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 | 1736.74 |
| PixelCount | 170 |
| 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 for live collection; the monthly chart also counts backfilled detections from 10 February 2024. 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.
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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