Are there wildfires in Victoria right now?

NASA's FIRMS satellites detected 104 active fire hotspots in Victoria 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 Victoria Today

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

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

104

Active hotspots

High intensity

Time window

VIIRS

NASA sensor

LowMedHigh

Conditions at Remote area

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

13°C · 66% humidity

Air quality Good

PM2.5 0.7 µg/m³ this hour · EU AQI 12 · US AQI 21

Air quality is good. No precautions needed.

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.

11 active fires in Victoria

Neighbouring detections grouped into single incidents, largest first.

1
Remote area
9 detectionslast seen 2026-09-18 05:33 UTC-36.439, 144.794
143 MW
2
84 km S of Canberra, ACT
2 detectionslast seen 2026-09-17 04:14 UTC-36.032, 149.086
76 MW
3
Remote area
5 detectionslast seen 2026-09-19 05:16 UTC-35.297, 143.677
31 MW
4
Remote area
5 detections~8.1 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-19 05:16 UTC-35.549, 145.065
25 MW
5
Remote area
3 detectionslast seen 2026-09-19 05:16 UTC-36.146, 147.390
21 MW
6
16 km W of Melbourne, Victoria
6 detections~14.6 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-18 03:53 UTC-37.831, 144.787
20 MW
7
Remote area
2 detectionslast seen 2026-09-17 04:14 UTC-34.050, 145.715
19 MW
8
Remote area
2 detectionslast seen 2026-09-18 05:33 UTC-37.231, 142.147
18 MW
9
Remote area
3 detectionslast seen 2026-09-19 05:16 UTC-34.793, 142.539
12 MW
10
Remote area
3 detections~8.7 km acrosslast seen 2026-09-18 03:55 UTC-34.757, 143.005
10 MW

Plus 49 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.

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