Recorded by satellite 168 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 64th strongest of the 199 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 21 February 2024. Another comparable one was recorded here earlier the same day. 9 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 51 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 103 MW, at nominal confidence, 37 km from North Platte.
The 51 pixels cover about 7.1 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 6,239 people live within 50 km of this point.
Nearby, since 21 February 2024
- March 16, 2026 · score 54 · 0.1 km
- March 19, 2026 · score 27 · 4.0 km
- March 15, 2026 · score 62 · 4.1 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 49 out of 100, at 68 % confidence.
The score is ours, computed from intensity, exposed population and local history — not the source’s.
Event Data
| Type | Wildfire |
| Severity | critical |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 49 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 68% |
| Coordinates | 40.9208, -100.4151 |
| Nearest City | North Platte (37 km) |
| Population Exposed | 6.2K within 50 km |
| Impact Tier | significant |
| Date | 2026-03-16 — time not reported by the source |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@-100.415,40.921,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 347.78 |
| Frp | 103.15 |
| PixelCount | 51 |
| 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 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.
Want to know when something happens near North Platte?
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 49/100 (United States), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 188 scientific monitoring sources.