Fire near Muchinga (ZM)

11.21°S, 30.89°E · first detected on 6 September at 12:03

What the satellites measured

This fire was tracked from 6 September at 12:03 to 6 September at 14:19, through 61 satellite detections. The detected extent reaches 828 ha.

Detected extent: 828 ha
Cumulative power: 394 MW
Peak power, one pixel: 20 MW
VIIRS and MODIS detections: 61

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	802 MW	28	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	1,670 MW	49	Met9
6 September at 16:49	95 MW	3	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	564 MW	13	Met10
6 September at 16:33	324 MW	19	Met12
6 September at 16:23	542 MW	24	Met12
6 September at 16:20	678 MW	12	Met10
6 September at 16:20	2,720 MW	65	Met9
6 September at 16:19	1,671 MW	32	Met10
6 September at 16:13	628 MW	30	Met12
6 September at 16:05	2,877 MW	63	Met9
6 September at 16:04	107 MW	4	Met9
6 September at 16:04	1,924 MW	31	Met10
6 September at 16:03	701 MW	29	Met12
6 September at 15:53	800 MW	32	Met12
6 September at 15:50	3,040 MW	52	Met9
6 September at 15:49	2,307 MW	29	Met10
6 September at 15:49	358 MW	10	Met9
6 September at 15:43	951 MW	38	Met12
6 September at 15:35	1,481 MW	18	Met9
6 September at 15:34	1,545 MW	24	Met9
6 September at 15:34	2,189 MW	21	Met10
6 September at 15:33	1,368 MW	47	Met12
6 September at 15:23	899 MW	33	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	2,238 MW	33	Met9
6 September at 15:13	1,358 MW	43	Met12
6 September at 15:05	245 MW	4	Met9
6 September at 15:04	4,039 MW	43	Met9
6 September at 15:04	2,954 MW	22	Met10
6 September at 15:03	1,518 MW	44	Met12
6 September at 15:01	3,209 MW	32	Aqua
6 September at 14:53	1,368 MW	44	Met12
6 September at 14:49	4,913 MW	51	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	5,187 MW	49	Met9
6 September at 14:33	1,711 MW	37	Met12
6 September at 14:23	1,280 MW	45	Met12
6 September at 14:19	521 MW	4	Met10
6 September at 14:19	4,520 MW	44	Met9
6 September at 14:17	5,105 MW	303	N21
6 September at 14:13	1,651 MW	49	Met12
6 September at 14:04	3,628 MW	43	Met9
6 September at 14:04	1,080 MW	8	Met10
6 September at 14:03	1,551 MW	54	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	3,374 MW	38	Met9
6 September at 13:43	1,919 MW	61	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	1,910 MW	54	Met12
6 September at 13:32	6,576 MW	852	N20
6 September at 13:23	2,285 MW	66	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	6,584 MW	585	N
6 September at 13:13	1,816 MW	55	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	2,239 MW	61	Met12
6 September at 12:53	2,245 MW	59	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	2,769 MW	55	Met12
6 September at 12:36	6,600 MW	271	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	2,675 MW	67	Met12
6 September at 12:23	3,167 MW	73	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	2,972 MW	64	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	2,415 MW	54	Met12
6 September at 11:53	3,003 MW	53	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	1,292 MW	41	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	1,290 MW	40	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	1,586 MW	45	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	1,772 MW	37	Met12
6 September at 10:53	1,672 MW	36	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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