Is there a fire near Randfontein right now?
Wildfires near Randfontein
Updated
19 fire clusters within 80 km; nearest 12 km NE, 5 detections in the last 48 h Latest satellite pass with a detection: Sun 2:32 pm local (2026-10-25 12:32 UTC).
Live satellite fire detections within 80 km of Randfontein, Gauteng, South Africa, grouped into fire clusters, with the wind direction for smoke. Times are local (Africa/Johannesburg).
- Fire clusters within 80 km
- 19 last 48 h
- Nearest fire
- 12 km NE 4 km E of Krugersdorp
- Hotspot detections nearby
- 95 VIIRS 375 m pixels, last 48 h
- Strongest fire radiative power
- 26 MW low-intensity
- Wind now
- NW 6 km/h gusts 12 km/h, humidity 26%
Fires near Randfontein right now
NASA's VIIRS sensors detected 95 thermal hotspots in 19 separate clusters within 80 km of Randfontein, Gauteng, South Africa in the last 48 h. The closest is 12 km NE of the city centre (4 km E of Krugersdorp), with 5 detections and a peak fire radiative power of 26 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.
The largest nearby cluster by detections is 57 km SSE (4 km SSE of Vereeniging) with 17 detections; first seen Sat 2 am and last seen Sun 2 am local time.
Across South Africa there are 175 fire clusters in the same window, 20 of them in Gauteng.
| Fire cluster | From city | Detections | Peak FRP | First seen | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 km E of Krugersdorp | 12 km NE | 5 | 26 MW | Sat 2:49 pm | Sun 2:05 am |
| at Roodepoort | 17 km E | 2 | 1 MW | Sat 2:24 am | Sat 2:24 am |
| 15 km WSW of Tokoza | 38 km SE | 1 | 3 MW | Sat 2:49 pm | Sat 2:49 pm |
| 12 km E of Evaton | 45 km SE | 2 | 2 MW | Sun 12:22 am | Sun 12:22 am |
| 10 km SW of Tokoza | 45 km SE | 1 | 4 MW | Sun 2:32 pm | Sun 2:32 pm |
| 4 km E of Alberton | 47 km ESE | 11 | 5 MW | Sat 2:24 am | Sun 2:05 am |
| 9 km S of Evaton | 49 km SSE | 8 | 8 MW | Sun 2:05 am | Sun 2:05 am |
| 19 km WSW of Brits | 51 km N | 5 | 9 MW | Sat 2:24 am | Sun 2:32 pm |
| 18 km ESE of Rustenburg | 53 km NNW | 7 | 14 MW | Sat 2:24 am | Sun 2:32 pm |
| 4 km SSE of Vereeniging | 57 km SSE | 17 | 5 MW | Sat 2:24 am | Sun 2:05 am |
| 11 km NNW of Benoni | 57 km E | 6 | 17 MW | Sat 2:24 am | Sat 2:24 am |
| 7 km ESE of Brits | 60 km NNE | 1 | 1 MW | Sat 2:24 am | Sat 2:24 am |
| 15 km E of Brits | 64 km NNE | 3 | 14 MW | Sun 2:32 pm | Sun 2:32 pm |
| 10 km ENE of Thembisa | 65 km ENE | 3 | 1 MW | Sat 2:24 am | Sun 2:05 am |
| 6 km S of Brakpan | 67 km E | 3 | 3 MW | Sun 2:32 pm | Sun 2:32 pm |
Smoke and wind
Wind at Randfontein is from the NW at 6 km/h (gusts 12 km/h), so smoke near the city drifts toward the SE. Relative humidity is 26% and the temperature 21°C.
Randfontein 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 Randfontein 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.