Discover real natural events happening around our amazing planet right now!
Real-time fire hotspot data from NASA MODIS and VIIRS satellites — updated continuously
View on Globe →A wildfire is a large fire that spreads through forests, grass, or dry land. Wildfires can start from lightning, very hot weather, or human activity. They can move faster than a person can run and are very hard to stop.
NASA satellites orbit Earth continuously, using thermal infrared sensors to spot fire hotspots even through smoke and cloud cover. Within hours of detection, the fire's location, size, and smoke plume are reported to scientists and emergency managers on the ground.
NASA's MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument flies aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. It uses thermal infrared channels to detect heat signatures from fires across the entire globe at least twice a day, identifying hotspots as small as a single burning field even in remote wilderness areas.
The VIIRS instrument on the Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 satellites provides even higher-resolution detection at 375 metres per pixel — fine enough to pinpoint individual fire fronts within a large wildfire complex. This near-real-time data flows directly into NASA's FIRMS (Fire Information for Resource Management System) and from there into the EONET feed that Earth Explorer uses.
Beyond detection, NASA's CALIPSO and MERRA-2 climate models track smoke plumes as they travel thousands of kilometres across continents and oceans, helping air quality agencies warn the public days in advance of smoke events reaching populated areas.
Earth Explorer displays active wildfire hotspots detected by NASA satellites worldwide. Every fire location reported through NASA EONET appears as a glowing dot on the interactive globe, updated continuously as new satellite passes complete.
View Live Wildfire Events →Wildfires are ignited by lightning, human activities such as campfires, power line sparks, or arson, and — rarely — spontaneous combustion. Once a fire starts, it spreads when it finds dry fuel (dead trees, grass, shrubs), warm temperatures, low humidity, and wind. Climate change is making these conditions more common, leading to longer, more intense fire seasons worldwide.
Under extreme conditions — dry fuel, low humidity, and strong winds — a wildfire can spread faster than 20 km/h. In grasslands, fires have been recorded moving at over 70 km/h. Crown fires, which leap through the tops of trees, can move even faster. This is why evacuation is critical: never wait to see how a fire develops before leaving.
Smoke contains tiny particles (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, and hundreds of chemicals. These microscopic particles penetrate deep into the lungs and can enter the bloodstream. Even short exposure worsens asthma, heart disease, and other conditions. Smoke from large fires regularly travels thousands of kilometres, affecting cities far from the fire itself.
Fire season is the time of year when weather conditions make wildfires most likely. In California this peaks in autumn; in Australia it runs through the southern summer (November–February). With climate change making temperatures higher and droughts longer, fire seasons are becoming longer and starting earlier in many parts of the world.
Follow official evacuation orders immediately. Prepare a go-bag with water, food, medication, important documents, and phone chargers. Keep windows and doors closed to slow smoke entry. Leave early — roads become dangerously congested as fires approach. Do not return home until authorities declare it safe.
NASA's MODIS and VIIRS instruments use thermal infrared sensors to detect the heat from fires — even in remote areas and at night. They scan the entire Earth at least twice every 24 hours, spotting fires as small as a single field. These detections feed into NASA's FIRMS system and EONET, the data source Earth Explorer uses to display live wildfire locations.