Is there a fire near Mbeya right now?
Wildfires near Mbeya
Updated
27 fire clusters within 80 km; nearest 12 km NNE, 7 detections 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 Mbeya, Tanzania, grouped into fire clusters, with the wind direction for smoke. Times are local (Africa/Dar_es_Salaam).
- Fire clusters within 80 km
- 27 last 48 h
- Nearest fire
- 12 km NNE 16 km NNE of Mbeya
- Hotspot detections nearby
- 510 VIIRS 375 m pixels, last 48 h
- Strongest fire radiative power
- 188 MW intense
- Wind now
- E 14 km/h gusts 36 km/h, humidity 66%
Fires near Mbeya right now
NASA's VIIRS sensors detected 510 thermal hotspots in 27 separate clusters within 80 km of Mbeya, Tanzania in the last 48 h. The closest is 12 km NNE of the city centre (16 km NNE of Mbeya), with 7 detections and a peak fire radiative power of 42 MW, which is moderate for a single 375 m pixel.
4 clusters are 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 19 km S (43 km SSW of Katumba) with 242 detections; first seen Sat 2 pm and last seen Sun 1 pm local time.
Across Tanzania there are 938 fire clusters in the same window, 54 of them in Mbeya.
| Fire cluster | From city | Detections | Peak FRP | First seen | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 km NNE of Mbeya | 12 km NNE | 7 | 42 MW | Sat 2:15 pm | Sat 2:15 pm |
| 14 km WNW of Mbeya | 13 km WNW | 6 | 10 MW | Sun 1:56 pm | Sun 1:56 pm |
| 43 km SSW of Katumba | 19 km S | 242 | 188 MW | Sat 2:15 pm | Sun 1:56 pm |
| 24 km SSW of Mbeya | 24 km SSW | 1 | 6 MW | Sat 2:15 pm | Sat 2:15 pm |
| 27 km NNW of Mbeya | 27 km NNW | 1 | 7 MW | Sat 2:15 pm | Sat 2:15 pm |
| 27 km E of Mbeya | 27 km E | 1 | 9 MW | Sat 2:15 pm | Sat 2:15 pm |
| 13 km NNE of Katumba | 27 km SE | 25 | 24 MW | Sat 2:15 pm | Sun 1:56 pm |
| 28 km NNE of Katumba | 32 km ESE | 3 | 10 MW | Sat 2:15 pm | Sun 3:01 am |
| 39 km SSW of Mbeya | 36 km SSW | 3 | 14 MW | Sat 2:15 pm | Sat 2:15 pm |
| 38 km E of Mbeya | 38 km E | 1 | 17 MW | Sat 2:15 pm | Sat 2:15 pm |
| 41 km N of Mbeya | 41 km N | 1 | 2 MW | Sun 1:56 pm | Sun 1:56 pm |
| 42 km NE of Mbeya | 42 km NE | 2 | 29 MW | Sat 2:15 pm | Sat 2:15 pm |
| 44 km NNW of Mbeya | 44 km NNW | 1 | 10 MW | Sat 2:15 pm | Sat 2:15 pm |
| 48 km N of Mbeya | 48 km N | 1 | 2 MW | Sun 1:56 pm | Sun 1:56 pm |
| 51 km NNW of Mbeya | 51 km NNW | 1 | 5 MW | Sun 1:56 pm | Sun 1:56 pm |
Smoke and wind
Wind at Mbeya is from the E at 14 km/h (gusts 36 km/h), so smoke near the city drifts toward the W. Relative humidity is 66% and the temperature 17°C.
Mbeya 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 Mbeya 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.