Is there a fire near Kahama right now?
Wildfires near Kahama
Updated
2 fire clusters within 80 km; nearest 62 km SE, 1 detection in the last 48 h Latest satellite pass with a detection: Sun 1:56 pm local (2026-10-25 10:56 UTC).
Live satellite fire detections within 80 km of Kahama, Shinyanga, Tanzania, grouped into fire clusters, with the wind direction for smoke. Times are local (Africa/Dar_es_Salaam).
- Fire clusters within 80 km
- 2 last 48 h
- Nearest fire
- 62 km SE 22 km W of Nzega
- Hotspot detections nearby
- 2 VIIRS 375 m pixels, last 48 h
- Strongest fire radiative power
- 4 MW low-intensity
- Wind now
- ESE 13 km/h gusts 22 km/h, humidity 44%
Fires near Kahama right now
NASA's VIIRS sensors detected 2 thermal hotspots in 2 separate clusters within 80 km of Kahama, Shinyanga, Tanzania in the last 48 h. The closest is 62 km SE of the city centre (22 km W of Nzega), with 1 detection and a peak fire radiative power of 2 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.
Across Tanzania there are 938 fire clusters in the same window, 7 of them in Shinyanga.
| Fire cluster | From city | Detections | Peak FRP | First seen | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 km W of Nzega | 62 km SE | 1 | 2 MW | Sun 1:56 pm | Sun 1:56 pm |
| 55 km WSW of Nzega | 64 km SSE | 1 | 4 MW | Sun 1:56 pm | Sun 1:56 pm |
Smoke and wind
Wind at Kahama is from the ESE at 13 km/h (gusts 22 km/h), so smoke near the city drifts toward the WNW. Relative humidity is 44% and the temperature 21°C.
Kahama is roughly downwind of the nearest fire, so smoke and haze are likely; check the air quality page before spending time outdoors.
Smoke shows up first as PM2.5 on air-quality monitors; the Kahama 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.