Fire near Kunene (AO)

16.18°S, 15.33°E · first detected on 20 October at 18:12

What the satellites measured

This fire was tracked from 20 October at 18:12 to 23 October at 02:05, that is 2 days, through 143 satellite detections. The detected extent reaches 1,859 ha.

Detected extent: 1,859 ha
Cumulative power: 2,452 MW
Peak power, one pixel: 168 MW
VIIRS and MODIS detections: 143
Estimated emissions: 826 t 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
23 October at 02:05	9 MW	7	N21
22 October at 20:04	30 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 19:52	10 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 19:49	34 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 19:34	42 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 19:20	34 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 19:19	81 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 19:05	41 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 19:04	103 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 19:02	22 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 18:50	77 MW	2	Met9
22 October at 18:49	113 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 18:42	21 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 18:35	81 MW	2	Met9
22 October at 18:34	112 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 18:22	34 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 18:20	40 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 18:19	94 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 18:05	40 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 18:04	87 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 17:50	48 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 17:49	82 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 17:35	47 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 17:34	113 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 17:20	55 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 17:19	122 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 17:04	107 MW	2	Met9
22 October at 17:04	149 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 17:02	17 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 16:52	19 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 16:49	139 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 16:49	163 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 16:42	54 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 16:34	180 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 16:34	223 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 16:32	75 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 16:22	99 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 16:19	393 MW	4	Met10
22 October at 16:19	280 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 16:16	70 MW	1	Aqua
22 October at 16:12	116 MW	4	Met12
22 October at 16:04	228 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 16:04	283 MW	4	Met10
22 October at 16:02	108 MW	4	Met12
22 October at 15:52	125 MW	4	Met12
22 October at 15:49	294 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 15:49	360 MW	4	Met10
22 October at 15:42	239 MW	9	Met12
22 October at 15:34	446 MW	4	Met10
22 October at 15:34	325 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 15:32	309 MW	14	Met12
22 October at 15:31	374 MW	38	N
22 October at 15:22	465 MW	12	Met12
22 October at 15:19	687 MW	4	Met10
22 October at 15:19	709 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 15:12	442 MW	10	Met12
22 October at 15:04	541 MW	4	Met10
22 October at 15:04	423 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 15:02	362 MW	12	Met12
22 October at 14:53	572 MW	24	N21
22 October at 14:52	353 MW	10	Met12
22 October at 14:49	405 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 14:49	516 MW	4	Met10
22 October at 14:42	413 MW	11	Met12
22 October at 14:34	334 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 14:34	344 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 14:32	340 MW	9	Met12
22 October at 14:22	257 MW	9	Met12
22 October at 14:19	389 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 14:19	324 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 14:12	234 MW	8	Met12
22 October at 14:10	282 MW	13	N20
22 October at 14:04	281 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 14:04	373 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 14:02	216 MW	6	Met12
22 October at 13:52	307 MW	10	Met12
22 October at 13:49	252 MW	16	N
22 October at 13:49	238 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 13:49	124 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 13:42	296 MW	9	Met12
22 October at 13:34	494 MW	3	Met9
22 October at 13:34	385 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 13:32	336 MW	9	Met12
22 October at 13:22	80 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 13:19	100 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 13:19	185 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 13:12	73 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 13:04	104 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 13:04	208 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 13:02	218 MW	8	Met12
22 October at 12:52	36 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 12:42	18 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 02:22	16 MW	15	N21
22 October at 01:37	6 MW	5	N20
21 October at 23:34	27 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 23:19	28 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 23:19	26 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 23:12	10 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 23:04	35 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 23:04	31 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 23:02	12 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 22:52	28 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 22:49	177 MW	4	Met10
21 October at 22:49	136 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 22:42	19 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 22:34	42 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 22:34	85 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 22:32	15 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 21:51	18 MW	2	Terra
21 October at 21:49	24 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 21:49	28 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 21:42	12 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 21:34	29 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 21:34	33 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 21:32	27 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 21:22	43 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 21:19	61 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 21:19	37 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 21:12	16 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 21:04	41 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 21:04	47 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 21:02	28 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 20:49	30 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 20:49	93 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 20:19	25 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 20:19	26 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 20:05	27 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 20:04	31 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 19:52	13 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 19:50	47 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 19:49	51 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 19:42	11 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 19:35	40 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 19:34	39 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 19:32	11 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 19:22	14 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 19:20	47 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 19:19	47 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 19:12	18 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 19:05	98 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 19:04	118 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 19:02	21 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 18:52	37 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 18:50	112 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 18:49	175 MW	4	Met10
21 October at 18:42	47 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 18:35	148 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 18:34	224 MW	4	Met10
21 October at 18:32	68 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 18:22	86 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 18:19	337 MW	5	Met10
21 October at 18:12	226 MW	7	Met12
21 October at 18:05	278 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 18:04	106 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 18:02	14 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 17:49	30 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 17:22	51 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 17:19	95 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 17:16	481 MW	5	Aqua
21 October at 17:12	340 MW	6	Met12
21 October at 17:04	638 MW	4	Met10
21 October at 17:02	386 MW	8	Met12
21 October at 16:52	170 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 16:49	70 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 16:42	115 MW	6	Met12
21 October at 16:22	38 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 15:52	77 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 15:49	80 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 15:42	49 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 15:34	97 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 15:34	129 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 15:32	71 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 15:22	158 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 15:12	35 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 15:12	258 MW	8	N21
21 October at 15:02	37 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 14:52	219 MW	6	Met12
21 October at 14:42	71 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 14:32	25 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 14:27	48 MW	2	N20
21 October at 14:22	66 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 14:12	92 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 14:10	67 MW	7	N
21 October at 14:04	57 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 14:04	40 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 14:02	45 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 13:32	17 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 18:12	10 MW	1	Met12

8 other fires near Kunene (AO)

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