Fire near Bahr el Ghazal occidental (SS)

9.01°N, 25.00°E · first detected on 20 October at 12:15

What the satellites measured

This fire was tracked from 20 October at 12:15 to 22 October at 16:25, that is 2 days, through 157 satellite detections. The detected extent reaches 3,183 ha.

Detected extent: 3,183 ha
Cumulative power: 3,051 MW
Peak power, one pixel: 190 MW
VIIRS and MODIS detections: 157
Estimated emissions: 3.1 kt of carbon; Carbon burnt in the 0.1 degree cells (about 10 km) around the fire, from 20 October 2026 to 21 October 2026. An order-of-magnitude estimate from GFAS (ECMWF, Copernicus CAMS): it also counts neighbouring fires in the same cell. Contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information (2026). Published data stop on 21 October 2026.

These four figures cover the polar orbits alone, the ones that measure an area. The pass table below also counts geostationary detections, more frequent but too coarse for geometry, and its power column sums a whole pass where the peak above is that of a single pixel.

“Detected extent” is not “burned area”: it is the union of the ground footprints of the satellite pixels, and a pixel counts in full (375 m for VIIRS, 1 km for MODIS) even when only a forest edge is burning. Compared with press figures it is in practice one and a half to three times the area reported. Detections taken at the edge of the scan swath, too coarse to measure anything at all, are excluded. These figures come from thermal detection and are not an official assessment: only the emergency services and the competent authorities are authoritative.

Replay how the fire spread

The map is framed on this fire's footprint and loads only its detections. The timeline below covers the period in which satellites saw it, from the first to the last detection, with twelve hours before and twenty-four after; the ticks on the bar mark the emergency services' announcements that fall within it. The cursor opens on the most powerful pass, and playback replays the whole fire in about thirty seconds. “1 h” shows what is burning within an hour of the chosen moment : the map then follows the power curve below and empties when it falls. “24 h” stacks twenty-four hours : a fire stays visible between two satellite passes, which come two to four times a day. Both are true, but they say different things.

How the radiative power evolved

One point per satellite pass: the sum of the fire radiative power measured over the fire. This is the curve that says whether the fire eased off or picked up again, which no cumulative figure shows. The window covers 5 days; beyond that, clustering would merge two successive fires in the same place.

Fire dynamics

Loading history…

Satellite passes in detail

Pass	Power summed over the pass	Detections	Sensor
22 October at 18:53	21 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 18:52	22 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 18:38	56 MW	2	Met9
22 October at 18:37	55 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 18:35	26 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 18:23	41 MW	2	Met9
22 October at 17:25	72 MW	5	Met12
22 October at 17:23	159 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 17:22	165 MW	5	Met10
22 October at 17:15	66 MW	4	Met12
22 October at 17:07	221 MW	6	Met10
22 October at 17:07	250 MW	6	Met9
22 October at 17:05	36 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 16:55	50 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 16:52	75 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 16:45	87 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 16:37	85 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 16:35	55 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 16:25	57 MW	3	Aqua
22 October at 16:25	58 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 16:22	28 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 16:15	15 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 16:05	13 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 15:55	87 MW	4	Met12
22 October at 15:52	182 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 15:37	248 MW	5	Met9
22 October at 15:35	60 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 15:25	27 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 15:22	88 MW	2	Met9
22 October at 15:15	71 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 15:07	454 MW	8	Met9
22 October at 15:05	87 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 14:55	34 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 14:52	239 MW	5	Met9
22 October at 14:45	105 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 14:37	456 MW	6	Met9
22 October at 14:35	99 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 14:17	57 MW	5	N20
22 October at 14:15	105 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 13:57	125 MW	20	N
22 October at 13:55	64 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 13:52	97 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 13:37	71 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 13:35	60 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 13:25	111 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 13:22	409 MW	6	Met9
22 October at 13:19	134 MW	13	N21
22 October at 13:15	47 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 13:07	304 MW	6	Met9
22 October at 13:05	83 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 12:55	22 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 12:52	540 MW	7	Met9
22 October at 12:45	83 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 12:37	179 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 12:35	63 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 12:25	86 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 12:22	189 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 12:15	78 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 12:07	96 MW	2	Met9
22 October at 11:55	181 MW	4	Met12
22 October at 11:52	113 MW	2	Met9
22 October at 11:45	66 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 11:37	59 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 11:35	30 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 11:25	396 MW	5	Met12
22 October at 11:22	380 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 11:15	58 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 11:07	330 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 11:05	109 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 10:37	42 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 10:37	89 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 10:15	14 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 08:55	15 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 19:08	54 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 19:07	49 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 19:05	11 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 18:55	51 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 18:53	181 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 18:52	104 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 18:45	22 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 18:38	134 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 18:37	69 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 18:35	19 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 18:25	22 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 18:23	235 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 18:22	147 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 18:15	51 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 18:08	305 MW	5	Met9
21 October at 18:05	23 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 17:55	19 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 17:53	447 MW	6	Met9
21 October at 17:45	162 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 17:38	550 MW	7	Met9
21 October at 17:35	161 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 17:22	27 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 17:22	287 MW	5	Met9
21 October at 17:07	480 MW	6	Met9
21 October at 17:05	88 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 16:52	411 MW	6	Met9
21 October at 16:45	176 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 16:37	745 MW	9	Met9
21 October at 16:35	94 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 16:25	127 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 16:22	151 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 16:22	550 MW	7	Met9
21 October at 16:15	494 MW	11	Met12
21 October at 16:07	501 MW	4	Met10
21 October at 16:07	662 MW	6	Met9
21 October at 16:05	116 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 15:55	67 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 15:52	644 MW	6	Met10
21 October at 15:52	921 MW	9	Met9
21 October at 15:46	482 MW	7	Aqua
21 October at 15:45	272 MW	7	Met12
21 October at 15:37	2,133 MW	11	Met9
21 October at 15:37	1,619 MW	7	Met10
21 October at 15:35	1,512 MW	19	Met12
21 October at 15:25	1,374 MW	15	Met12
21 October at 15:22	980 MW	6	Met10
21 October at 15:22	1,100 MW	7	Met9
21 October at 15:15	1,709 MW	17	Met12
21 October at 15:07	1,401 MW	8	Met10
21 October at 15:07	1,585 MW	10	Met9
21 October at 15:05	1,022 MW	16	Met12
21 October at 14:55	78 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 14:52	345 MW	4	Met10
21 October at 14:52	490 MW	7	Met9
21 October at 14:45	470 MW	6	Met12
21 October at 14:37	1,669 MW	10	Met9
21 October at 14:37	1,403 MW	6	Met10
21 October at 14:36	555 MW	20	N20
21 October at 14:35	800 MW	10	Met12
21 October at 14:25	1,353 MW	12	Met12
21 October at 14:22	932 MW	5	Met10
21 October at 14:22	1,112 MW	8	Met9
21 October at 14:17	863 MW	24	N
21 October at 14:15	1,209 MW	8	Met12
21 October at 14:07	173 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 14:07	236 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 14:05	73 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 13:55	323 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 13:52	871 MW	8	Met9
21 October at 13:52	132 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 13:45	1,077 MW	12	Met12
21 October at 13:38	425 MW	40	N21
21 October at 13:37	434 MW	4	Met10
21 October at 13:37	578 MW	6	Met9
21 October at 13:35	407 MW	8	Met12
21 October at 13:25	179 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 13:22	262 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 13:22	322 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 13:15	27 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 13:07	224 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 13:07	372 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 13:05	66 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 12:56	74 MW	6	N20
21 October at 12:55	164 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 12:52	346 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 12:52	499 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 12:45	121 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 12:37	281 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 12:35	36 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 12:25	50 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 12:22	132 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 12:15	57 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 12:07	98 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 12:05	43 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 11:55	32 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 11:52	167 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 11:45	69 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 11:37	208 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 11:35	67 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 11:25	62 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 11:22	206 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 11:15	101 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 11:07	268 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 11:05	176 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 10:55	102 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 10:52	93 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 10:52	140 MW	4	Met10
21 October at 10:45	152 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 10:37	149 MW	4	Met10
21 October at 10:37	102 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 10:35	85 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 10:25	52 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 10:22	32 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 10:15	42 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 09:45	29 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 09:15	29 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 09:07	31 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 09:07	28 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 09:05	10 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 01:50	1 MW	1	N20
21 October at 01:29	0 MW	1	N
20 October at 16:15	32 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 16:05	25 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 15:55	15 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 15:52	81 MW	2	Met10
20 October at 15:52	153 MW	4	Met9
20 October at 15:45	13 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 15:37	39 MW	1	Met10
20 October at 15:37	77 MW	3	Met9
20 October at 15:35	16 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 15:25	14 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 15:07	72 MW	2	Met9
20 October at 15:07	71 MW	2	Met10
20 October at 15:05	11 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 14:55	24 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 14:52	103 MW	2	Met10
20 October at 14:52	172 MW	4	Met9
20 October at 14:45	63 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 14:37	102 MW	2	Met10
20 October at 14:37	156 MW	3	Met9
20 October at 14:35	66 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 14:34	89 MW	10	N
20 October at 14:25	71 MW	5	Met12
20 October at 14:22	140 MW	3	Met9
20 October at 14:22	95 MW	2	Met10
20 October at 14:15	32 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 14:07	107 MW	3	Met9
20 October at 14:05	61 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 13:57	125 MW	7	N21
20 October at 13:55	53 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 13:52	34 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 13:45	67 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 13:37	171 MW	3	Met9
20 October at 13:35	71 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 13:25	69 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 13:22	33 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 13:15	107 MW	4	N20
20 October at 13:15	87 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 13:07	32 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 13:05	24 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 12:55	11 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 12:45	14 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 12:15	13 MW	1	Met12

8 other fires near Bahr el Ghazal occidental (SS)

Separate fires, apart in time or in space, not pieces of this one. A single municipality can have several over one summer, and a forest massif often covers more than a hundred square kilometres.

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