Fire near Muchinga (ZM)

11.12°S, 31.00°E · first detected on 6 September at 10:23

What the satellites measured

This fire was tracked from 6 September at 10:23 to 6 September at 15:01, through 113 satellite detections. The detected extent reaches 1,617 ha.

Detected extent: 1,617 ha
Cumulative power: 1,028 MW
Peak power, one pixel: 61 MW
VIIRS and MODIS detections: 113

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 375 m pixel counts in full 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 and loads only its detections. The timeline below covers the whole known life of the fire, from the first trace, satellite or report, to the last announcement from emergency services, and the ticks on the bar mark those announcements. Detections often stop before containment: a fire stops radiating once it stops spreading, which is exactly when it is declared contained. “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. “12 h” stacks twelve hours , as the home map does, where stacking avoids an empty screen between two satellite passes. 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 3 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
6 September at 23:05	428 MW	3	Met10
6 September at 23:05	579 MW	6	Met9
6 September at 23:03	288 MW	8	Met12
6 September at 22:53	26 MW	1	Met12
6 September at 22:50	110 MW	4	Met10
6 September at 22:50	194 MW	8	Met9
6 September at 22:43	49 MW	3	Met12
6 September at 22:35	412 MW	9	Met9
6 September at 22:35	235 MW	3	Met10
6 September at 22:33	176 MW	7	Met12
6 September at 22:23	42 MW	2	Met12
6 September at 22:20	468 MW	10	Met9
6 September at 22:20	227 MW	4	Met10
6 September at 22:13	85 MW	2	Met12
6 September at 22:05	192 MW	7	Met9
6 September at 22:05	113 MW	4	Met10
6 September at 22:03	11 MW	1	Met12
6 September at 21:53	50 MW	4	Met12
6 September at 21:50	22 MW	1	Met10
6 September at 21:50	81 MW	4	Met9
6 September at 21:43	57 MW	4	Met12
6 September at 21:35	81 MW	3	Met10
6 September at 21:35	242 MW	11	Met9
6 September at 21:33	105 MW	7	Met12
6 September at 21:23	62 MW	5	Met12
6 September at 21:20	56 MW	2	Met10
6 September at 21:20	180 MW	9	Met9
6 September at 21:05	110 MW	5	Met9
6 September at 21:05	99 MW	3	Met10
6 September at 21:03	14 MW	1	Met12
6 September at 20:53	95 MW	4	Met12
6 September at 20:50	120 MW	4	Met10
6 September at 20:50	300 MW	9	Met9
6 September at 20:43	110 MW	2	Met12
6 September at 20:35	102 MW	4	Met9
6 September at 20:35	27 MW	1	Met10
6 September at 20:28	331 MW	15	Terra
6 September at 20:23	168 MW	5	Met12
6 September at 20:20	73 MW	2	Met10
6 September at 20:20	226 MW	6	Met9
6 September at 20:13	59 MW	2	Met12
6 September at 20:05	125 MW	4	Met9
6 September at 20:05	26 MW	1	Met10
6 September at 20:03	71 MW	2	Met12
6 September at 19:53	90 MW	5	Met12
6 September at 19:50	243 MW	10	Met9
6 September at 19:50	107 MW	3	Met10
6 September at 19:43	115 MW	4	Met12
6 September at 19:35	282 MW	10	Met9
6 September at 19:35	185 MW	6	Met10
6 September at 19:33	21 MW	1	Met12
6 September at 19:23	25 MW	2	Met12
6 September at 19:20	248 MW	10	Met9
6 September at 19:20	112 MW	3	Met10
6 September at 19:13	26 MW	2	Met12
6 September at 19:05	264 MW	6	Met10
6 September at 19:05	352 MW	12	Met9
6 September at 19:03	65 MW	5	Met12
6 September at 18:53	25 MW	2	Met12
6 September at 18:50	192 MW	5	Met10
6 September at 18:50	310 MW	12	Met9
6 September at 18:43	22 MW	2	Met12
6 September at 18:35	219 MW	6	Met10
6 September at 18:35	332 MW	11	Met9
6 September at 18:33	40 MW	3	Met12
6 September at 18:23	31 MW	2	Met12
6 September at 18:20	226 MW	7	Met10
6 September at 18:20	375 MW	15	Met9
6 September at 18:13	80 MW	4	Met12
6 September at 18:05	414 MW	9	Met10
6 September at 18:05	504 MW	17	Met9
6 September at 18:03	71 MW	4	Met12
6 September at 17:53	198 MW	8	Met12
6 September at 17:50	542 MW	14	Met10
6 September at 17:50	581 MW	19	Met9
6 September at 17:43	265 MW	14	Met12
6 September at 17:35	905 MW	22	Met10
6 September at 17:35	968 MW	31	Met9
6 September at 17:33	358 MW	19	Met12
6 September at 17:23	490 MW	24	Met12
6 September at 17:20	1,575 MW	34	Met10
6 September at 17:20	1,626 MW	43	Met9
6 September at 17:13	629 MW	27	Met12
6 September at 17:05	2,007 MW	55	Met9
6 September at 17:05	1,879 MW	37	Met10
6 September at 17:03	790 MW	27	Met12
6 September at 16:53	466 MW	21	Met12
6 September at 16:50	1,679 MW	42	Met10
6 September at 16:50	1,651 MW	48	Met9
6 September at 16:49	69 MW	2	Met10
6 September at 16:43	357 MW	18	Met12
6 September at 16:35	2,001 MW	56	Met9
6 September at 16:35	1,141 MW	26	Met10
6 September at 16:34	538 MW	12	Met10
6 September at 16:33	301 MW	17	Met12
6 September at 16:23	516 MW	22	Met12
6 September at 16:20	678 MW	12	Met10
6 September at 16:20	2,674 MW	63	Met9
6 September at 16:19	1,619 MW	30	Met10
6 September at 16:13	580 MW	27	Met12
6 September at 16:05	2,877 MW	63	Met9
6 September at 16:04	59 MW	2	Met9
6 September at 16:04	1,891 MW	30	Met10
6 September at 16:03	686 MW	28	Met12
6 September at 15:53	776 MW	30	Met12
6 September at 15:50	3,040 MW	52	Met9
6 September at 15:49	2,265 MW	28	Met10
6 September at 15:49	275 MW	7	Met9
6 September at 15:43	900 MW	35	Met12
6 September at 15:35	1,481 MW	18	Met9
6 September at 15:34	1,439 MW	21	Met9
6 September at 15:34	2,189 MW	21	Met10
6 September at 15:33	1,310 MW	44	Met12
6 September at 15:23	824 MW	29	Met12
6 September at 15:20	788 MW	12	Met9
6 September at 15:19	1,739 MW	19	Met10
6 September at 15:19	2,165 MW	31	Met9
6 September at 15:13	1,329 MW	41	Met12
6 September at 15:05	245 MW	4	Met9
6 September at 15:04	3,974 MW	41	Met9
6 September at 15:04	2,954 MW	22	Met10
6 September at 15:03	1,505 MW	43	Met12
6 September at 15:01	3,106 MW	30	Aqua
6 September at 14:53	1,368 MW	44	Met12
6 September at 14:49	4,817 MW	49	Met9
6 September at 14:49	2,319 MW	23	Met10
6 September at 14:43	1,375 MW	40	Met12
6 September at 14:34	3,499 MW	22	Met10
6 September at 14:34	5,079 MW	47	Met9
6 September at 14:33	1,693 MW	36	Met12
6 September at 14:23	1,197 MW	40	Met12
6 September at 14:19	521 MW	4	Met10
6 September at 14:19	4,477 MW	43	Met9
6 September at 14:17	4,872 MW	285	N21
6 September at 14:13	1,610 MW	47	Met12
6 September at 14:04	3,599 MW	42	Met9
6 September at 14:04	1,080 MW	8	Met10
6 September at 14:03	1,443 MW	47	Met12
6 September at 13:53	1,716 MW	49	Met12
6 September at 13:49	1,636 MW	11	Met10
6 September at 13:49	3,347 MW	37	Met9
6 September at 13:43	1,897 MW	59	Met12
6 September at 13:34	3,797 MW	36	Met9
6 September at 13:34	2,138 MW	14	Met10
6 September at 13:33	1,858 MW	51	Met12
6 September at 13:32	6,420 MW	829	N20
6 September at 13:23	2,241 MW	63	Met12
6 September at 13:19	3,453 MW	23	Met10
6 September at 13:19	5,077 MW	49	Met9
6 September at 13:15	6,507 MW	572	N
6 September at 13:13	1,792 MW	53	Met12
6 September at 13:04	3,272 MW	22	Met10
6 September at 13:04	5,204 MW	52	Met9
6 September at 13:03	2,215 MW	59	Met12
6 September at 12:53	2,176 MW	55	Met12
6 September at 12:49	4,849 MW	42	Met9
6 September at 12:49	3,564 MW	22	Met10
6 September at 12:43	2,744 MW	53	Met12
6 September at 12:36	6,559 MW	267	N21
6 September at 12:34	4,007 MW	27	Met10
6 September at 12:34	5,129 MW	44	Met9
6 September at 12:33	2,614 MW	63	Met12
6 September at 12:23	3,072 MW	68	Met12
6 September at 12:19	2,632 MW	16	Met10
6 September at 12:19	4,757 MW	35	Met9
6 September at 12:13	2,939 MW	62	Met12
6 September at 12:04	4,415 MW	33	Met9
6 September at 12:04	3,575 MW	26	Met10
6 September at 12:03	2,379 MW	52	Met12
6 September at 11:53	2,977 MW	51	Met12
6 September at 11:49	2,969 MW	17	Met10
6 September at 11:49	3,919 MW	23	Met9
6 September at 11:43	1,216 MW	37	Met12
6 September at 11:34	2,414 MW	21	Met9
6 September at 11:34	1,863 MW	11	Met10
6 September at 11:33	1,148 MW	34	Met12
6 September at 11:23	1,229 MW	37	Met12
6 September at 11:19	1,437 MW	11	Met10
6 September at 11:19	1,760 MW	14	Met9
6 September at 11:13	1,553 MW	43	Met12
6 September at 11:04	2,272 MW	14	Met10
6 September at 11:04	2,877 MW	16	Met9
6 September at 11:03	1,723 MW	35	Met12
6 September at 10:53	1,648 MW	34	Met12
6 September at 10:49	890 MW	7	Met9
6 September at 10:49	973 MW	8	Met10
6 September at 10:43	858 MW	30	Met12
6 September at 10:34	374 MW	4	Met9
6 September at 10:34	320 MW	3	Met10
6 September at 10:33	434 MW	21	Met12
6 September at 10:23	416 MW	21	Met12
6 September at 10:19	278 MW	3	Met9
6 September at 10:19	218 MW	2	Met10
6 September at 08:14	202 MW	10	Terra
6 September at 00:59	24 MW	15	N20
6 September at 00:37	3 MW	2	N

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