Is there a fire near Varanasi right now?
Wildfires near Varanasi
Updated
6 fire clusters within 80 km; nearest 16 km SSW, 1 detection in the last 48 h Latest satellite pass with a detection: Sun 1:11 pm local (2026-10-25 07:41 UTC).
Live satellite fire detections within 80 km of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, grouped into fire clusters, with the wind direction for smoke. Times are local (Asia/Kolkata).
- Fire clusters within 80 km
- 6 last 48 h
- Nearest fire
- 16 km SSW 16 km SSW of Varanasi
- Hotspot detections nearby
- 18 VIIRS 375 m pixels, last 48 h
- Strongest fire radiative power
- 16 MW low-intensity
- Wind now
- WSW 2 km/h gusts 4 km/h, humidity 77%
Fires near Varanasi right now
NASA's VIIRS sensors detected 18 thermal hotspots in 6 separate clusters within 80 km of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India in the last 48 h. The closest is 16 km SSW of the city centre (16 km SSW of Varanasi), with 1 detection and a peak fire radiative power of 3 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 69 km WSW (21 km WSW of Mirzāpur) with 7 detections; first seen Sun 1 pm and last seen Sun 1 pm local time.
Across India there are 659 fire clusters in the same window, 141 of them in Uttar Pradesh.
| Fire cluster | From city | Detections | Peak FRP | First seen | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 km SSW of Varanasi | 16 km SSW | 1 | 3 MW | Sat 1:31 pm | Sat 1:31 pm |
| 29 km SE of Jaunpur | 30 km NNW | 1 | 3 MW | Sat 1:31 pm | Sat 1:31 pm |
| 24 km SW of Mau | 65 km NE | 1 | 2 MW | Sun 1:11 pm | Sun 1:11 pm |
| 21 km WSW of Mirzāpur | 69 km WSW | 7 | 16 MW | Sun 1:11 pm | Sun 1:11 pm |
| 29 km WSW of Mirzāpur | 77 km WSW | 6 | 8 MW | Sun 1:11 pm | Sun 1:11 pm |
| 23 km WNW of Jaunpur | 77 km NW | 2 | 3 MW | Sun 1:11 pm | Sun 1:11 pm |
Smoke and wind
Wind at Varanasi is from the WSW at 2 km/h (gusts 4 km/h), so smoke near the city drifts toward the ENE. Relative humidity is 77% and the temperature 23°C.
Varanasi is roughly downwind of the nearest fire, so smoke and haze are likely; check the air quality page before spending time outdoors.
Smoke shows up first as PM2.5 on air-quality monitors; the Varanasi 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.