Are there wildfires in India right now?

NASA's FIRMS satellites detected 605 active fire hotspots in India 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 India Today

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

Live active-fire map for India from NASA FIRMS satellite data. Where fires are burning right now — updated hourly. Typical fire season: spring.

605

Active hotspots

High intensity

Time window

VIIRS

NASA sensor

LowMedHigh

Conditions at Remote area

6 km/h from the NW — carrying smoke towards the SE.

26°C · 92% humidity

Air quality Poor

PM2.5 78.7 µg/m³ this hour · EU AQI 74 · US AQI 177

Sensitive groups should reduce outdoor exertion. Others may notice irritation.

The band above follows the European index, which averages particulates over 24 hours — so a sharp rise in this hour's PM2.5, as smoke passing overhead causes, shows up in the reading before it moves the band.

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.

55 active fires in India

Neighbouring detections grouped into single incidents, largest first.

1
Remote area
58 detections~19.9 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-18 20:02 UTC23.744, 86.399
146 MW
2
Remote area
14 detections~2.2 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-19 08:56 UTC21.105, 72.641
68 MW
3
Remote area
21 detections~8.8 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-19 07:16 UTC20.967, 85.176
67 MW
4
Remote area
16 detections~16.3 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-19 07:16 UTC20.886, 84.988
65 MW
5
Remote area
12 detections~16.6 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-19 07:16 UTC20.789, 85.263
63 MW
6
Remote area
9 detectionslast seen 2026-09-19 07:16 UTC21.078, 85.038
59 MW
7
113 km W of Kolkata, India
13 detections~4.1 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-18 20:02 UTC22.373, 87.286
44 MW
8
Remote area
13 detections~6.5 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-19 07:16 UTC20.957, 86.031
42 MW
9
Remote area
18 detections~9.9 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-19 07:16 UTC22.321, 82.580
39 MW
10
Remote area
18 detections~11 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-18 20:02 UTC21.720, 84.031
31 MW

Plus 138 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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