Is there a fire near Mzuzu right now?
Wildfires near Mzuzu
Updated
17 fire clusters within 80 km; nearest 6 km N, 269 detections in the last 48 h Latest satellite pass with a detection: Sun 12:56 pm local (2026-10-25 10:56 UTC).
Live satellite fire detections within 80 km of Mzuzu, Northern Region, Malawi, grouped into fire clusters, with the wind direction for smoke. Times are local (Africa/Blantyre).
- Fire clusters within 80 km
- 17 last 48 h
- Nearest fire
- 6 km N 71 km N of Mzuzu
- Hotspot detections nearby
- 645 VIIRS 375 m pixels, last 48 h
- Strongest fire radiative power
- 217 MW intense
Fires near Mzuzu right now
NASA's VIIRS sensors detected 645 thermal hotspots in 17 separate clusters within 80 km of Mzuzu, Northern Region, Malawi in the last 48 h. The closest is 6 km N of the city centre (71 km N of Mzuzu), with 269 detections and a peak fire radiative power of 83 MW, which is moderate for a single 375 m pixel.
3 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 8 km S (45 km S of Mzuzu) with 338 detections; first seen Sat 1 pm and last seen Sun 12 pm local time.
Across Malawi there are 117 fire clusters in the same window, 62 of them in Northern Region.
| Fire cluster | From city | Detections | Peak FRP | First seen | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 km N of Mzuzu | 6 km N | 269 | 83 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sun 12:56 pm |
| 45 km S of Mzuzu | 8 km S | 338 | 217 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sun 12:53 pm |
| 17 km WNW of Mzuzu | 17 km WNW | 1 | 4 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sat 1:15 pm |
| 27 km ESE of Mzuzu | 25 km ESE | 6 | 9 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sun 12:53 pm |
| 30 km NW of Mzuzu | 30 km NW | 1 | 3 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sat 1:15 pm |
| 32 km WNW of Mzuzu | 32 km WNW | 1 | 9 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sat 1:15 pm |
| 38 km W of Mzuzu | 38 km W | 1 | 4 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sat 1:15 pm |
| 44 km NNW of Mzuzu | 44 km NNW | 1 | 4 MW | Sun 12:53 pm | Sun 12:53 pm |
| 52 km W of Mzuzu | 52 km W | 1 | 3 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sat 1:15 pm |
| 61 km SW of Mzuzu | 59 km SW | 2 | 5 MW | Sun 12:53 pm | Sun 12:53 pm |
| 59 km W of Mzuzu | 59 km W | 1 | 6 MW | Sun 12:53 pm | Sun 12:53 pm |
| 70 km SSW of Mzuzu | 60 km SSW | 10 | 12 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sun 12:53 pm |
| 64 km NNW of Mzuzu | 64 km NNW | 1 | 6 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sat 1:15 pm |
| 76 km NW of Mzuzu | 73 km NW | 2 | 3 MW | Sat 1:15 pm | Sun 12:53 pm |
| 74 km WSW of Mzuzu | 74 km WSW | 1 | 2 MW | Sun 12:53 pm | Sun 12:53 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 Mzuzu 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.