Live Wildfire Map
Live Wildfire Map
Explore recent satellite heat around the world and official wildfire reports where available. Choose a region, compare time windows, and open a marker to check its source and timestamp.
How to use the wildfire map
Start with the place you want to check, then read each marker in the context of its source and time.
Choose your area
Use the region selector for the United States, Global, or a country. Zoom in to separate nearby markers. On desktop, hold Ctrl while scrolling to zoom; on a phone, pinch or use the + and − buttons.
U.S. state maps →Compare time windows
24h, 48h, and 7d select the satellite detection window. A seven-day view can reveal older observations; it does not mean every marked location is burning now. These controls do not change an agency incident's reporting date.
Return to map filters ↑Open the details
Tap a heat dot for its detection time and satellite details. Tap a fire pin for the available source record. Numbered circles group nearby detections; they are not counts of separate wildfires.
Browse U.S. fire reports →Heat dots, fire pins, and boundaries
These layers are related, but they are not interchangeable.
Satellite heat
Orange and red dots represent thermal detections from NASA FIRMS. Several detections can belong to one fire, and some heat sources are not wildfires. A dot does not outline the burned area.
Fire records
U.S. pins show WFIGS/NIFC incident reports. Country dashboards may show Copernicus mapped events or supported official feeds. Read the popup's source label before treating a pin as a named agency incident.
Published perimeters
In the U.S. view, open Layers to enable published perimeter geometry at closer zoom levels. A mapped boundary is a dated snapshot, not a live fire edge, evacuation boundary, or safe travel route.
Common map questions
Why can a reported fire have no heat dots?
First select All, make sure satellite heat is enabled in Layers, and compare the 48h or 7d window. If the source is current and no observations match, there may simply be no detections in that area and period. Cloud, smoke, satellite overpass timing, or a small or cooler fire can limit detection. An empty map is not an all-clear.
What do Strong and Very strong mean?
These are WildfireSignal display categories based on reported VIIRS brightness temperature, not an official danger rating or ground-level temperature. Strong includes readings of at least 300 K, including Very strong readings above 330 K. All also includes lower or unclassified readings. Color alone cannot establish fire size, spread, or severity.
How current is the map?
WildfireSignal normally checks cached sources on a ten-minute cycle, but that does not create a new satellite observation every ten minutes. Open a marker to see when it was detected or reported. Cached and partial-source labels mean the map may not contain the latest available activity.
Why are there fewer pins when I zoom out?
Satellite detections are grouped at wider views to keep the map usable. U.S. incident pins are also prioritized at national zoom levels. Zoom in or open a state or country dashboard to inspect the available local records.
Does the map show evacuation orders or smoke exposure?
No. A fire marker, missing dot, or containment figure does not establish an evacuation status or air-quality condition. Use the responsible emergency agency for orders and closures and an official air-quality service for smoke information.
U.S. wildfire snapshot
These totals describe the United States, not the current map viewport. Open a country dashboard for its local summary.