Fire near Niassa (MZ)

13.59°S, 36.75°E · first detected on 18 October at 13:25

What the satellites measured

This fire was tracked from 18 October at 13:25 to 22 October at 13:49, that is 4 days, through 178 satellite detections. The detected extent reaches 3,068 ha.

Detected extent: 3,068 ha
Cumulative power: 2,406 MW
Peak power, one pixel: 87 MW
VIIRS and MODIS detections: 178
Estimated emissions: 460 t of carbon; Carbon burnt in the 0.1 degree cells (about 10 km) around the fire, from 18 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 7 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 17:50	22 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 17:35	26 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 17:20	25 MW	1	Met9
22 October at 17:19	31 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 17:05	108 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 17:04	47 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 17:03	14 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 16:50	101 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 16:49	38 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 16:43	11 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 16:35	172 MW	5	Met9
22 October at 16:34	58 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 16:23	43 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 16:20	157 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 16:19	58 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 16:05	151 MW	5	Met9
22 October at 16:04	45 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 16:03	10 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 15:53	10 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 15:50	176 MW	6	Met9
22 October at 15:49	47 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 15:35	199 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 15:34	121 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 15:33	12 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 15:20	199 MW	6	Met9
22 October at 15:19	51 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 15:13	25 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 15:04	39 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 15:04	173 MW	5	Met9
22 October at 15:03	76 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 14:53	47 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 14:49	119 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 14:49	367 MW	9	Met9
22 October at 14:43	249 MW	7	Met12
22 October at 14:34	541 MW	10	Met9
22 October at 14:34	216 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 14:33	65 MW	5	Met12
22 October at 14:23	164 MW	9	Met12
22 October at 14:19	366 MW	9	Met9
22 October at 14:19	107 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 14:13	85 MW	4	Met12
22 October at 14:10	87 MW	5	N20
22 October at 14:04	465 MW	7	Met9
22 October at 14:04	169 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 14:03	104 MW	5	Met12
22 October at 13:53	153 MW	5	Met12
22 October at 13:49	814 MW	48	N
22 October at 13:49	573 MW	8	Met9
22 October at 13:49	317 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 13:43	165 MW	7	Met12
22 October at 13:34	488 MW	9	Met9
22 October at 13:34	168 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 13:33	146 MW	5	Met12
22 October at 13:23	210 MW	5	Met12
22 October at 13:19	347 MW	6	Met9
22 October at 13:15	711 MW	56	N21
22 October at 13:13	140 MW	5	Met12
22 October at 13:04	603 MW	7	Met9
22 October at 13:04	333 MW	4	Met10
22 October at 13:03	243 MW	9	Met12
22 October at 12:53	80 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 12:49	389 MW	5	Met10
22 October at 12:49	434 MW	6	Met9
22 October at 12:43	52 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 12:34	391 MW	5	Met10
22 October at 12:34	747 MW	9	Met9
22 October at 12:33	470 MW	12	Met12
22 October at 12:30	477 MW	41	N20
22 October at 12:23	36 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 12:19	378 MW	7	Met9
22 October at 12:19	257 MW	5	Met10
22 October at 12:13	256 MW	6	Met12
22 October at 12:04	453 MW	7	Met9
22 October at 12:04	227 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 12:03	174 MW	7	Met12
22 October at 11:53	239 MW	9	Met12
22 October at 11:49	404 MW	5	Met10
22 October at 11:49	589 MW	7	Met9
22 October at 11:43	135 MW	7	Met12
22 October at 11:34	394 MW	6	Met9
22 October at 11:34	210 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 11:33	332 MW	11	Met12
22 October at 11:23	238 MW	8	Met12
22 October at 11:19	295 MW	4	Met10
22 October at 11:19	350 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 11:13	275 MW	9	Met12
22 October at 11:04	481 MW	7	Met9
22 October at 11:04	226 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 11:03	200 MW	7	Met12
22 October at 10:53	74 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 10:49	247 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 10:49	336 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 10:43	175 MW	7	Met12
22 October at 10:34	304 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 10:34	201 MW	3	Met10
22 October at 10:33	191 MW	8	Met12
22 October at 10:23	25 MW	2	Met12
22 October at 10:19	139 MW	2	Met10
22 October at 10:19	275 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 10:13	71 MW	3	Met12
22 October at 10:04	178 MW	4	Met9
22 October at 10:04	61 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 10:03	31 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 09:49	80 MW	2	Met9
22 October at 09:43	15 MW	1	Met12
22 October at 09:34	75 MW	2	Met9
22 October at 09:34	39 MW	1	Met10
22 October at 01:16	5 MW	4	N
21 October at 18:50	18 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 18:35	17 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 18:05	18 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 17:50	21 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 17:35	29 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 17:34	29 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 17:23	38 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 17:20	56 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 17:19	37 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 17:05	51 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 17:04	33 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 16:53	15 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 16:50	91 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 16:49	106 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 16:43	16 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 16:35	107 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 16:34	82 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 16:20	95 MW	3	Met9
21 October at 16:19	79 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 16:05	136 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 16:04	85 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 15:50	225 MW	5	Met9
21 October at 15:49	172 MW	3	Met10
21 October at 15:43	152 MW	5	Met12
21 October at 15:40	296 MW	8	Aqua
21 October at 15:35	218 MW	5	Met9
21 October at 15:34	121 MW	2	Met10
21 October at 15:33	57 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 15:23	19 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 15:20	88 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 15:13	25 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 15:04	231 MW	4	Met9
21 October at 15:03	30 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 14:53	81 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 14:43	72 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 14:34	109 MW	1	Met9
21 October at 14:23	92 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 14:19	177 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 14:13	12 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 14:10	56 MW	5	N
21 October at 13:32	14 MW	2	N21
21 October at 13:23	14 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 13:13	101 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 13:03	98 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 12:53	84 MW	3	Met12
21 October at 12:47	233 MW	23	N20
21 October at 12:43	149 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 12:33	51 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 12:28	4 MW	1	N
21 October at 12:23	81 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 12:13	36 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 12:03	34 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 11:53	37 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 11:43	20 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 11:33	37 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 11:13	45 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 11:04	143 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 11:04	63 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 11:03	133 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 10:53	108 MW	4	Met12
21 October at 10:49	62 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 10:49	122 MW	2	Met9
21 October at 10:43	49 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 10:34	42 MW	1	Met10
21 October at 10:33	21 MW	2	Met12
21 October at 10:23	10 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 09:53	11 MW	1	Met12
21 October at 09:13	16 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 16:43	12 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 16:33	18 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 15:50	24 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 15:35	33 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 15:19	31 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 14:33	71 MW	3	Met12
20 October at 14:23	53 MW	2	Met12
20 October at 13:43	12 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 13:08	72 MW	11	N20
20 October at 13:03	15 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 12:47	4 MW	1	N
20 October at 11:53	22 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 11:43	16 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 11:33	15 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 11:23	12 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 11:19	26 MW	1	Met9
20 October at 11:13	13 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 10:53	14 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 10:43	15 MW	1	Met12
20 October at 09:43	12 MW	1	Met12
19 October at 13:25	13 MW	3	N20
19 October at 13:06	15 MW	2	N
18 October at 13:25	18 MW	4	N

8 other fires near Niassa (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.

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