Recorded by satellite today.
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 78th strongest of the 2156 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 25 July 2024. Another comparable one was recorded here earlier the same day.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 253 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 2645 MW, at high confidence, 105 km from Missoula.
The 253 pixels cover about 35.4 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.
At this point we have recorded a radiative power between 2,645 MW and 2,645 MW, over 14 readings since 31 August 2026. Today's reading sits 37% of the way up that range.
Nearby, since 25 July 2024
- August 31, 2026 · score 46 · 0.1 km
- August 30, 2026 · score 46 · 0.7 km
- August 29, 2026 · score 46 · 1.5 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 43 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 | critical |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 43 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 54% |
| Coordinates | 46.2621, -115.0476 |
| Nearest City | Missoula (105 km) |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Timestamp | 2026-08-31T21:14:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@-115.048,46.262,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 367 |
| Frp | 2644.93 |
| PixelCount | 253 |
| 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 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.
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 43/100 (United States), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 188 scientific monitoring sources.