Fire near Cabo Delgado (MZ)

13.53°S, 40.27°E · first detected on 23 September at 12:15

What the satellites measured

This fire was tracked from 23 September at 12:15 to 22 October at 14:38, that is 29 days, through 3,092 satellite detections. The detected extent reaches 53,544 ha.

Detected extent: 53,544 ha
Cumulative power: 19,353 MW
Peak power, one pixel: 54 MW
VIIRS and MODIS detections: 3,092
Estimated emissions: 7.3 kt of carbon; Carbon burnt in the 0.1 degree cells (about 10 km) around the fire, from 5 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 30 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 17:23	14 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 16:05	38 MW	2	Met9
22 October at 15:43	11 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 15:13	12 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 15:03	11 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 14:53	12 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 14:43	17 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 14:38	24 MW	1	Aqua
22 October at 14:33	52 MW	4	Met12
22 October at 14:23	25 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 14:13	61 MW	4	Met12
22 October at 14:03	76 MW	4	Met12
22 October at 13:53	22 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 13:49	115 MW	23	N
22 October at 13:43	39 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 13:33	61 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 13:23	43 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 13:15	555 MW	86	N21
22 October at 13:13	63 MW	4	Met12
22 October at 13:03	38 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 12:53	74 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 12:49	65 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 12:49	71 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 12:43	51 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 12:34	45 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 12:33	39 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 12:30	357 MW	65	N20
22 October at 12:13	24 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 12:11	49 MW	4	N
22 October at 12:04	27 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 12:03	20 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 11:53	12 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 11:13	12 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 11:03	29 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 10:34	52 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 10:23	14 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 10:19	57 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 17:43	11 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 15:33	27 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 15:23	25 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 15:13	12 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 14:49	34 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 14:43	11 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 14:34	45 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 14:33	52 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 14:23	222 MW	7	Met12
21 October at 14:19	257 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 14:19	247 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 14:13	43 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 14:04	409 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 14:03	317 MW	11	Met12
21 October at 13:53	278 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 13:49	261 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 13:49	443 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 13:43	343 MW	7	Met12
21 October at 13:33	62 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 13:32	329 MW	48	N21
21 October at 13:23	13 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 13:13	20 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 13:04	100 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 13:03	99 MW	6	Met12
21 October at 12:53	101 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 12:49	84 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 12:47	733 MW	107	N20
21 October at 12:43	242 MW	8	Met12
21 October at 12:33	43 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 12:28	327 MW	77	N
21 October at 12:23	116 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 12:13	157 MW	7	Met12
21 October at 12:03	31 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 11:53	216 MW	7	Met12
21 October at 11:49	54 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 11:43	77 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 11:34	62 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 11:34	66 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 11:33	114 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 11:23	611 MW	11	Met12
21 October at 11:19	257 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 11:19	179 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 11:13	129 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 11:04	99 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 11:03	73 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 09:03	34 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 00:14	1 MW	2	N20
20 October at 15:19	56 MW	2	Met9
20 October at 15:01	65 MW	7	Aqua
20 October at 14:23	18 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 14:13	13 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 13:53	79 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 13:49	199 MW	11	N21
20 October at 13:43	18 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 13:08	755 MW	134	N20
20 October at 13:03	15 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 12:49	103 MW	2	Met9
20 October at 12:47	659 MW	103	N
20 October at 12:43	56 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 12:33	15 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 12:23	17 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 12:13	14 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 12:11	313 MW	66	N21
20 October at 12:03	13 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 11:53	52 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 11:43	117 MW	6	Met12
20 October at 11:33	61 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 11:23	89 MW	6	Met12
20 October at 11:19	51 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 11:13	343 MW	13	Met12
20 October at 11:04	89 MW	2	Met9
20 October at 11:04	63 MW	1	Met10
20 October at 11:03	291 MW	12	Met12
20 October at 10:53	45 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 10:43	18 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 10:33	13 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 10:23	15 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 10:13	27 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 09:43	30 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 09:04	44 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 09:03	63 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 08:33	25 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 08:13	11 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 07:53	41 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 07:43	12 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 07:33	31 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 07:23	26 MW	1	Terra
19 October at 13:25	440 MW	56	N20
19 October at 13:06	645 MW	111	N
19 October at 12:30	696 MW	92	N21
18 October at 13:45	8 MW	1	N20
18 October at 13:25	227 MW	37	N
18 October at 12:47	193 MW	29	N21
18 October at 12:04	23 MW	2	N20
18 October at 07:44	15 MW	2	Terra
18 October at 01:12	2 MW	1	N20
18 October at 00:52	2 MW	3	N
18 October at 00:14	1 MW	1	N21
17 October at 13:45	19 MW	6	N
17 October at 13:08	229 MW	32	N21
17 October at 12:22	37 MW	11	N20
16 October at 14:02	39 MW	6	N
16 October at 13:25	221 MW	41	N21
16 October at 12:41	290 MW	44	N20
16 October at 12:21	147 MW	28	N
16 October at 01:31	0 MW	1	N
16 October at 00:52	0 MW	1	N21
15 October at 15:08	153 MW	12	Aqua
15 October at 13:45	120 MW	12	N21
15 October at 13:00	682 MW	108	N20
15 October at 12:42	553 MW	94	N
15 October at 12:04	403 MW	42	N21
14 October at 13:19	314 MW	42	N20
14 October at 13:00	411 MW	59	N
14 October at 12:21	309 MW	36	N21
13 October at 15:29	146 MW	6	Aqua
13 October at 13:38	190 MW	45	N20
12 October at 14:51	105 MW	6	Aqua
12 October at 13:00	1,196 MW	166	N21
12 October at 01:24	5 MW	3	N20
12 October at 01:03	2 MW	1	N
12 October at 00:29	3 MW	4	N21
11 October at 20:17	11 MW	1	Terra
11 October at 13:55	90 MW	13	N
11 October at 13:19	625 MW	76	N21
11 October at 12:36	445 MW	90	N20
11 October at 12:15	125 MW	26	N
11 October at 00:46	0 MW	1	N21
11 October at 00:01	1 MW	1	N20
10 October at 19:39	53 MW	2	Terra
10 October at 15:14	72 MW	9	Aqua
10 October at 13:38	145 MW	19	N21
10 October at 12:53	456 MW	105	N20
10 October at 12:34	252 MW	42	N
10 October at 11:58	58 MW	6	N21
9 October at 13:13	286 MW	44	N20
9 October at 12:53	357 MW	63	N
9 October at 12:15	177 MW	30	N21
8 October at 19:58	8 MW	1	Terra
8 October at 15:38	19 MW	1	Aqua
8 October at 13:32	155 MW	27	N20
8 October at 13:13	348 MW	56	N
8 October at 12:36	314 MW	45	N21
8 October at 07:46	5 MW	1	Terra
8 October at 00:40	1 MW	1	N
8 October at 00:01	1 MW	1	N21
7 October at 14:59	209 MW	14	Aqua
7 October at 13:49	225 MW	25	N20
7 October at 13:32	723 MW	101	N
7 October at 12:53	965 MW	148	N21
7 October at 12:11	165 MW	28	N20
6 October at 13:49	103 MW	21	N
6 October at 13:15	285 MW	42	N21
6 October at 12:30	51 MW	11	N20
6 October at 12:11	13 MW	3	N
5 October at 15:21	113 MW	8	Aqua
5 October at 13:32	112 MW	18	N21
5 October at 12:47	404 MW	64	N20
5 October at 12:28	185 MW	33	N
4 October at 13:06	39 MW	9	N20
3 October at 13:25	187 MW	33	N20
3 October at 13:06	264 MW	50	N
3 October at 12:30	185 MW	34	N21
2 October at 15:06	103 MW	9	Aqua
2 October at 13:45	61 MW	9	N20
2 October at 13:25	106 MW	22	N
2 October at 12:47	323 MW	40	N21
2 October at 12:04	32 MW	4	N20
2 October at 00:14	0 MW	1	N21
1 October at 13:45	6 MW	2	N
1 October at 13:08	229 MW	28	N21
1 October at 12:21	34 MW	8	N20
1 October at 01:09	1 MW	2	N
1 October at 00:33	1 MW	1	N21
30 September at 13:25	39 MW	5	N21
30 September at 12:42	250 MW	39	N20
30 September at 12:21	54 MW	10	N
30 September at 01:31	1 MW	2	N
30 September at 00:52	2 MW	2	N21
29 September at 14:49	93 MW	5	Aqua
29 September at 13:45	116 MW	10	N21
29 September at 13:00	389 MW	73	N20
29 September at 12:41	285 MW	50	N
29 September at 12:04	178 MW	12	N21
28 September at 20:02	6 MW	1	Terra
28 September at 13:19	400 MW	71	N20
28 September at 12:22	340 MW	32	N21
28 September at 00:46	1 MW	1	N20
28 September at 00:27	1 MW	1	N
27 September at 15:12	154 MW	10	Aqua
27 September at 13:38	92 MW	22	N20
27 September at 13:17	174 MW	38	N
27 September at 12:41	265 MW	45	N21
27 September at 01:03	1 MW	1	N20
27 September at 00:46	1 MW	1	N
27 September at 00:08	2 MW	2	N21
26 September at 13:38	119 MW	16	N
26 September at 13:00	302 MW	40	N21
26 September at 12:15	107 MW	20	N20
25 September at 15:36	36 MW	1	Aqua
25 September at 13:55	100 MW	13	N
25 September at 13:19	424 MW	52	N21
25 September at 12:36	320 MW	75	N20
25 September at 12:15	73 MW	11	N
24 September at 14:57	102 MW	10	Aqua
24 September at 13:38	170 MW	16	N21
24 September at 12:53	379 MW	81	N20
24 September at 12:34	427 MW	48	N
24 September at 11:58	29 MW	5	N21

8 other fires near Cabo Delgado (MZ)

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.

Follow live

The map shows active fires in 3D, with smoke plumes, forecast wind, drop zones and the live position of water bombers tracked by ADS-B, anywhere in the world.

Open the fire map

Take the data of this fire with you

A ready-to-use archive, paid once, no subscription. It contains:

the satellite detections of the fire
the contours of its progression
the drops and the aircraft tracks
the lightning around it
the severity of the burned area, when computed

From €20.00 excl. VAT, six formats to choose from, link valid for 30 days.

Download the data

Pro subscribers: included. €49 excl. VAT a month, no commitment. The public map stays free. Discover GISFire Pro

© 2026 SARO · Gistin. All rights reserved. The interface, its presentation and the contents of GISFire are protected; reproducing or imitating them requires written permission. The source data remain the property of their respective producers, see the credits.

Legal notice · Privacy policy · · GISFire v2.4.2