Are there wildfires in South Africa right now?

NASA's FIRMS satellites detected 666 active fire hotspots in South Africa over the last 3 days, including 2 high-intensity fires. 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 South Africa Today

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

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

666

Active hotspots

High intensity

Time window

VIIRS

NASA sensor

LowMedHigh

Conditions at Remote area

34 km/h from the ENE — carrying smoke towards the WSW.

27°C · 29% humidity

Air quality Moderate

PM2.5 13.3 µg/m³ this hour · EU AQI 46 · US AQI 61

People with asthma or heart conditions may want to limit long spells outdoors.

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.

61 active fires in South Africa

Neighbouring detections grouped into single incidents, largest first.

1
Remote area
45 detections~17.5 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-19 12:06 UTC-23.171, 24.235
979 MW
2
Remote area
37 detections~17.2 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-19 12:06 UTC-22.169, 32.540
843 MW
3
Remote area
61 detections~19.1 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-19 12:06 UTC-24.777, 24.332
515 MW
4
Remote area
13 detections~2.9 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-17 12:44 UTC-24.501, 28.351
463 MW
5
Remote area
11 detectionslast seen 2026-09-18 12:25 UTC-23.891, 29.276
388 MW
6
Remote area
54 detections~23.9 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-19 12:06 UTC-23.082, 31.885
375 MW
7
Remote area
11 detections~12.3 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-18 23:39 UTC-25.426, 29.070
316 MW
8
Remote area
14 detections~3.1 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-17 12:44 UTC-23.341, 21.368
292 MW
9
Remote area
12 detections~5.1 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-17 12:44 UTC-22.671, 22.349
275 MW
10
Remote area
13 detections~2.1 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-18 23:41 UTC-33.877, 18.927
265 MW

Plus 75 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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