Are there wildfires in DR Congo right now?

NASA's FIRMS satellites detected 1268 active fire hotspots in the DR Congo over the last 3 days. The map on this page shows their exact locations, updated hourly.

How does NASA detect wildfires?

NASA's VIIRS and MODIS instruments aboard the Suomi NPP, NOAA-20 and Terra/Aqua satellites detect thermal anomalies (heat signatures) from orbit. Each detection is a "hotspot" — a pixel where the sensor measured fire-level heat. Data is published within about 3 hours of the satellite overpass through the FIRMS system.

What does fire intensity (FRP) mean?

FRP (Fire Radiative Power, in megawatts) measures how much energy a fire is releasing. Higher FRP means a more intense fire. On this map, brighter red dots are higher-intensity detections.

Wildfires in DR Congo Today

Name: Active Wildfires in DR Congo
Creator: NASA
Published: 2024-01-01
License: https://www.nasa.gov/open/
Keywords: wildfires, fires dr congo, NASA FIRMS, active fire map, VIIRS

Live active-fire map for the DR Congo from NASA FIRMS satellite data. Where fires are burning right now — updated hourly. Typical fire season: June–September.

1268

Active hotspots

High intensity

Time window

VIIRS

NASA sensor

LowMedHigh

Conditions at Remote area

9 km/h from the NNE — carrying smoke towards the SSW.

19°C · 73% humidity

Air quality Fair

PM2.5 13.5 µg/m³ this hour · EU AQI 37 · US AQI 59

Air quality is acceptable for almost everyone.

Wind direction only — not a smoke dispersion forecast. Air quality is modelled, not a street-level measurement. Weather from MET Norway; air quality from Open-Meteo (Copernicus CAMS). Both CC BY 4.0.

183 active fires in DR Congo

Neighbouring detections grouped into single incidents, largest first.

1
Remote area
19 detections~2.2 km acrosslast seen 2026-11-02 11:44 UTC-13.488, 24.176
322 MW
2
Remote area
36 detections~66.5 km acrosslast seen 2026-11-02 13:27 UTC-5.904, 12.716
308 MW
3
Remote area
37 detections~43.1 km acrosslast seen 2026-11-02 11:51 UTC5.217, 31.176
289 MW
4
Remote area
14 detections~13.1 km acrosslast seen 2026-11-02 11:44 UTC-13.210, 31.232
204 MW
5
Remote area
13 detections~26.1 km acrosslast seen 2026-11-02 11:46 UTC-8.256, 26.719
183 MW
6
Remote area
7 detections~2.8 km acrosslast seen 2026-11-02 13:27 UTC-7.046, 13.140
171 MW
7
Remote area
17 detections~36.2 km acrosslast seen 2026-11-02 11:51 UTC5.230, 30.823
132 MW
8
Remote area
8 detections~19.7 km acrosslast seen 2026-11-02 13:25 UTC-10.031, 13.747
120 MW
9
Remote area
11 detections~28.4 km acrosslast seen 2026-11-02 11:46 UTC-11.468, 29.436
118 MW
10
Remote area
5 detections~10.9 km acrosslast seen 2026-11-02 11:46 UTC-11.176, 28.313
104 MW

Plus 404 smaller heat detections — often agricultural burning rather than wildfire.

About this wildfire map

This map uses NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), which publishes active-fire detections from the VIIRS and MODIS instruments aboard NASA and NOAA satellites. Each dot is a thermal “hotspot” where the sensor measured fire-level heat, usually within 3 hours of the satellite passing overhead. It shows where fires are actively burning — not fire perimeters or evacuation zones. For safety and evacuation information, always follow your local emergency services.

Wildfires in other countries

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