Fire near Matabeleland méridional (ZW)

20.03°S, 27.37°E · first detected on 20 October at 07:52

What the satellites measured

This fire was tracked from 20 October at 07:52 to 22 October at 01:37, that is 2 days, through 188 satellite detections. The detected extent reaches 1,983 ha.

Detected extent: 1,983 ha
Cumulative power: 3,397 MW
Peak power, one pixel: 95 MW
VIIRS and MODIS detections: 188
Estimated emissions: 7.8 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).

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 4 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 03:12	14 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 02:34	55 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 02:33	37 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 02:19	54 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 02:18	33 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 02:12	13 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 02:03	27 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 02:02	13 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 01:37	21 MW	8	N20
22 October at 01:20	19 MW	7	N
22 October at 00:42	15 MW	7	N21
21 October at 23:12	11 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 23:04	25 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 23:02	41 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 22:52	11 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 22:34	28 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 22:34	30 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 21:19	21 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 21:12	14 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 21:04	53 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 21:04	34 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 21:02	27 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 19:42	11 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 19:34	25 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 19:19	27 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 19:04	28 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 18:49	33 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 18:49	36 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 18:34	36 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 18:34	41 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 18:19	68 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 18:19	45 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 18:04	57 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 18:04	74 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 17:49	30 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 17:49	111 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 17:34	108 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 17:34	140 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 17:19	29 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 17:19	141 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 17:04	156 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 17:04	126 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 17:02	22 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 16:52	32 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 16:49	205 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 16:49	174 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 16:42	97 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 16:34	425 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 16:32	386 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 16:22	372 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 16:19	352 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 16:02	23 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 15:52	174 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 15:42	303 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 15:32	409 MW	7	Met12
21 October at 15:22	98 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 15:19	131 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 15:19	126 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 15:12	128 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 15:04	168 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 15:02	203 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 14:52	361 MW	10	Met12
21 October at 14:49	249 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 14:49	174 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 14:42	442 MW	11	Met12
21 October at 14:34	378 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 14:32	300 MW	9	Met12
21 October at 14:27	501 MW	23	N20
21 October at 14:22	197 MW	6	Met12
21 October at 14:19	105 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 14:19	153 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 14:12	372 MW	10	Met12
21 October at 14:08	497 MW	22	N
21 October at 14:04	62 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 14:02	381 MW	9	Met12
21 October at 13:52	391 MW	11	Met12
21 October at 13:42	259 MW	7	Met12
21 October at 13:34	82 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 13:32	156 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 13:32	63 MW	3	N21
21 October at 13:22	134 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 13:19	148 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 13:12	238 MW	7	Met12
21 October at 13:04	106 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 13:02	193 MW	6	Met12
21 October at 12:52	124 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 12:49	95 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 12:42	252 MW	6	Met12
21 October at 12:34	136 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 12:33	390 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 12:32	382 MW	9	Met12
21 October at 12:22	543 MW	11	Met12
21 October at 12:19	535 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 12:12	514 MW	8	Met12
21 October at 12:03	807 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 12:03	569 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 12:02	825 MW	11	Met12
21 October at 11:52	955 MW	8	Met12
21 October at 11:48	705 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 11:48	693 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 11:42	1,564 MW	11	Met12
21 October at 11:33	854 MW	4	Met10
21 October at 11:33	668 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 11:32	647 MW	9	Met12
21 October at 11:22	564 MW	9	Met12
21 October at 11:18	386 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 11:18	715 MW	4	Met10
21 October at 11:12	201 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 11:03	70 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 11:03	125 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 11:02	48 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 10:52	117 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 10:48	349 MW	4	Met10
21 October at 10:48	274 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 10:42	134 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 10:33	68 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 10:33	80 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 10:32	58 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 10:22	19 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 10:18	59 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 10:18	58 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 10:12	35 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 10:03	56 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 10:03	59 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 10:02	33 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 09:52	24 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 09:48	115 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 09:48	67 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 09:42	48 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 09:33	143 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 09:33	141 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 09:32	119 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 09:22	72 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 09:18	62 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 09:18	60 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 09:12	48 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 09:03	50 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 09:03	44 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 09:02	53 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 08:52	65 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 08:48	54 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 08:42	57 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 08:32	45 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 01:58	17 MW	10	N20
21 October at 01:37	17 MW	13	N
21 October at 01:01	25 MW	15	N21
20 October at 22:02	12 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 21:32	10 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 21:22	14 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 21:13	108 MW	4	Terra
20 October at 20:42	17 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 20:32	23 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 20:22	16 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 20:02	23 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 19:52	44 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 19:42	48 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 19:32	29 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 19:12	42 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 18:42	75 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 18:32	82 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 18:22	42 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 18:12	41 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 18:02	53 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 17:52	70 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 17:42	134 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 17:32	174 MW	5	Met12
20 October at 17:22	304 MW	9	Met12
20 October at 17:12	158 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 17:02	306 MW	8	Met12
20 October at 16:52	194 MW	6	Met12
20 October at 16:42	204 MW	6	Met12
20 October at 16:37	160 MW	2	Aqua
20 October at 16:32	297 MW	7	Met12
20 October at 16:22	460 MW	10	Met12
20 October at 16:12	273 MW	7	Met12
20 October at 16:04	279 MW	2	Met9
20 October at 16:02	339 MW	9	Met12
20 October at 15:52	389 MW	8	Met12
20 October at 15:49	249 MW	1	Met10
20 October at 15:49	409 MW	3	Met9
20 October at 15:42	709 MW	10	Met12
20 October at 15:34	215 MW	1	Met10
20 October at 15:32	372 MW	9	Met12
20 October at 15:22	252 MW	6	Met12
20 October at 15:12	329 MW	8	Met12
20 October at 15:02	112 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 14:52	221 MW	5	Met12
20 October at 14:49	231 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 14:46	684 MW	28	N20
20 October at 14:42	642 MW	9	Met12
20 October at 14:32	928 MW	8	Met12
20 October at 14:25	663 MW	22	N
20 October at 14:22	378 MW	5	Met12
20 October at 14:12	174 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 13:49	298 MW	13	N21
20 October at 13:42	42 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 13:32	54 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 13:22	229 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 13:12	232 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 13:06	310 MW	11	N20
20 October at 12:52	51 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 12:42	180 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 12:34	169 MW	2	Met9
20 October at 12:32	16 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 12:22	216 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 12:18	156 MW	2	Met10
20 October at 12:12	158 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 12:03	72 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 12:03	54 MW	1	Met10
20 October at 12:02	110 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 11:52	84 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 11:48	49 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 11:42	126 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 11:33	44 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 11:32	91 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 11:22	49 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 11:12	38 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 11:02	73 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 10:52	109 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 10:48	62 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 10:48	45 MW	1	Met10
20 October at 10:42	143 MW	4	Met12
20 October at 10:32	13 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 10:22	13 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 10:12	17 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 10:02	17 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 09:52	13 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 07:52	12 MW	1	Met12

8 other fires near Matabeleland méridional (ZW)

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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