Is there a fire near Chipata right now?
Wildfires near Chipata
Updated
8 fire clusters within 80 km; nearest 34 km E, 1 detection in the last 48 h Latest satellite pass with a detection: Sun 12:53 pm local (2026-10-25 10:53 UTC).
Live satellite fire detections within 80 km of Chipata, Eastern Province, Zambia, grouped into fire clusters, with the wind direction for smoke. Times are local (Africa/Lusaka).
- Fire clusters within 80 km
- 8 last 48 h
- Nearest fire
- 34 km E 34 km E of Chipata
- Hotspot detections nearby
- 17 VIIRS 375 m pixels, last 48 h
- Strongest fire radiative power
- 10 MW low-intensity
- Wind now
- SE 13 km/h gusts 27 km/h, humidity 45%
Fires near Chipata right now
NASA's VIIRS sensors detected 17 thermal hotspots in 8 separate clusters within 80 km of Chipata, Eastern Province, Zambia in the last 48 h. The closest is 34 km E of the city centre (34 km E of Chipata), with 1 detection and a peak fire radiative power of 5 MW, which is low-intensity for a single 375 m pixel.
None of the clusters is within 25 km of the centre, so the city itself is not in the immediate fire area, but smoke can travel hundreds of kilometres.
Every nearby cluster is low intensity (peak under 10 MW), which is typical of agricultural or garden burning, industrial heat sources such as steel works or flares, or small fires rather than a spreading wildfire.
The largest nearby cluster by detections is 69 km E (60 km WNW of Lilongwe) with 7 detections; first seen Sun 12 am and last seen Sun 2 am local time.
Across Zambia there are 1,046 fire clusters in the same window, 101 of them in Eastern Province.
| Fire cluster | From city | Detections | Peak FRP | First seen | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 km E of Chipata | 34 km E | 1 | 5 MW | Sun 12:53 pm | Sun 12:53 pm |
| 58 km NE of Chipata | 57 km NE | 2 | 3 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sat 1:15 pm |
| 65 km NE of Chipata | 65 km NE | 1 | 6 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sat 1:15 pm |
| 68 km N of Chipata | 66 km N | 2 | 10 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sun 12:53 pm |
| 60 km WNW of Lilongwe | 69 km E | 7 | 6 MW | Sun 12:20 am | Sun 2:03 am |
| 75 km NW of Chipata | 75 km NW | 2 | 10 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sat 1:15 pm |
| 78 km WSW of Chipata | 78 km WSW | 1 | 5 MW | Sun 12:53 pm | Sun 12:53 pm |
| 80 km NNE of Chipata | 80 km NNE | 1 | 3 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sat 1:15 pm |
Smoke and wind
Wind at Chipata is from the SE at 13 km/h (gusts 27 km/h), so smoke near the city drifts toward the NW. Relative humidity is 45% and the temperature 24°C.
Chipata is not directly downwind of the nearest fire at the moment, though winds shift and plumes from larger fires can still reach the city.
Smoke shows up first as PM2.5 on air-quality monitors; the Chipata air quality page has the live reading.
Evacuations and official information
GodsView shows satellite detections only. It does not know fire perimeters, containment or evacuation zones. Always follow evacuation orders from local authorities.
The Global Wildfire Information System, GWIS (gwis.jrc.ec.europa.eu), maps fire danger and burnt areas worldwide; evacuation orders come from national civil protection and local authorities.
About satellite fire detections
Satellite thermal hotspots are not all wildfires: gas flares, steel works, volcanoes and planned agricultural or prescribed burns show up too. VIIRS passes over most places about twice a day, so a fire can start or grow between passes, and thick smoke or cloud can hide one.
Fire radiative power (FRP) is the heat a fire gives off, in megawatts per pixel: under 10 MW is usually a small or smouldering fire, over 100 MW an intense flaming front.
Wildfires near other cities
More for this area
Data: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS active fires), Open-Meteo, GeoNames.