Is there a fire near Kolwezi right now?
Wildfires near Kolwezi
Updated
9 fire clusters within 80 km; nearest 14 km E, 1 detection in the last 48 h Latest satellite pass with a detection: Sun 2:36 pm local (2026-10-25 12:36 UTC).
Live satellite fire detections within 80 km of Kolwezi, Lualaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, grouped into fire clusters, with the wind direction for smoke. Times are local (Africa/Lubumbashi).
- Fire clusters within 80 km
- 9 last 48 h
- Nearest fire
- 14 km E 14 km E of Kolwezi
- Hotspot detections nearby
- 22 VIIRS 375 m pixels, last 48 h
- Strongest fire radiative power
- 48 MW moderate
Fires near Kolwezi right now
NASA's VIIRS sensors detected 22 thermal hotspots in 9 separate clusters within 80 km of Kolwezi, Lualaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last 48 h. The closest is 14 km E of the city centre (14 km E of Kolwezi), with 1 detection and a peak fire radiative power of 1 MW, which is low-intensity for a single 375 m pixel.
1 cluster is within 25 km, close enough that smoke, ash or road closures may affect the city. Distances are measured from the city centre to the nearest detection, not to the fire's edge.
The largest nearby cluster by detections is 70 km ESE (72 km ESE of Kolwezi) with 9 detections; first seen Sat 1 pm and last seen Sun 2 pm local time.
Across Democratic Republic of the Congo there are 322 fire clusters in the same window, 53 of them in Lualaba.
| Fire cluster | From city | Detections | Peak FRP | First seen | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 km E of Kolwezi | 14 km E | 1 | 1 MW | Sun 2:01 am | Sun 2:01 am |
| 43 km ESE of Kolwezi | 43 km ESE | 2 | 1 MW | Sun 2:01 am | Sun 2:01 am |
| 45 km SE of Kolwezi | 45 km SE | 4 | 48 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sun 2:36 pm |
| 55 km NE of Kolwezi | 55 km NE | 1 | 4 MW | Sun 2:36 pm | Sun 2:36 pm |
| 57 km N of Kolwezi | 57 km N | 1 | 5 MW | Sun 2:36 pm | Sun 2:36 pm |
| 65 km SSE of Kolwezi | 64 km SSE | 2 | 8 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sat 1:15 pm |
| 67 km WNW of Kolwezi | 67 km WNW | 1 | 5 MW | Sat 2:53 pm | Sat 2:53 pm |
| 67 km WNW of Kolwezi | 67 km WNW | 1 | 1 MW | Sun 2:01 am | Sun 2:01 am |
| 72 km ESE of Kolwezi | 70 km ESE | 9 | 16 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sun 2:36 pm |
Smoke and wind
Current wind data was unavailable for this page; smoke generally drifts with the wind, so check local conditions.
Smoke shows up first as PM2.5 on air-quality monitors; the Kolwezi 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.