Is there a fire near Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal right now?
Wildfires near Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal
Updated
9 fire clusters within 80 km; nearest 20 km NE, 5 detections in the last 48 h Latest satellite pass with a detection: Sun 2:29 pm local (2026-10-25 12:29 UTC).
Live satellite fire detections within 80 km of Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, grouped into fire clusters, with the wind direction for smoke. Times are local (Africa/Johannesburg).
- Fire clusters within 80 km
- 9 last 48 h
- Nearest fire
- 20 km NE 20 km NE of Newcastle
- Hotspot detections nearby
- 18 VIIRS 375 m pixels, last 48 h
- Strongest fire radiative power
- 12 MW low-intensity
Fires near Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal right now
NASA's VIIRS sensors detected 18 thermal hotspots in 9 separate clusters within 80 km of Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in the last 48 h. The closest is 20 km NE of the city centre (20 km NE of Newcastle), with 5 detections and a peak fire radiative power of 6 MW, which is low-intensity for a single 375 m pixel.
2 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.
Across South Africa there are 175 fire clusters in the same window, 32 of them in KwaZulu-Natal.
| Fire cluster | From city | Detections | Peak FRP | First seen | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 km NE of Newcastle | 20 km NE | 5 | 6 MW | Sat 1:10 pm | Sat 2:49 pm |
| 22 km SSW of Newcastle | 22 km SSW | 2 | 1 MW | Sun 2:07 am | Sun 2:07 am |
| 40 km WNW of Newcastle | 40 km WNW | 1 | 7 MW | Sat 1:10 pm | Sat 1:10 pm |
| 44 km SE of Newcastle | 44 km SE | 2 | 0 MW | Sun 12:25 am | Sun 12:25 am |
| 46 km NW of Newcastle | 46 km NW | 4 | 12 MW | Sat 2:24 am | Sat 1:10 pm |
| 45 km NNE of Ladysmith | 51 km S | 1 | 6 MW | Sat 2:49 pm | Sat 2:49 pm |
| 28 km ENE of Ladysmith | 74 km S | 1 | 3 MW | Sun 2:29 pm | Sun 2:29 pm |
| 38 km ENE of Ladysmith | 76 km SSE | 1 | 10 MW | Sat 1:08 pm | Sat 1:08 pm |
| 38 km SSW of Vryheid | 77 km ESE | 1 | 3 MW | Sat 2:49 pm | Sat 2:49 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 Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal 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.