How satellites find fire
Instruments aboard NASA's Terra, Aqua and Suomi-NPP satellites measure thermal infrared radiation. A patch of ground that is dramatically hotter than its surroundings registers as a thermal anomaly — a fire pixel. FIRMS (Fire Information for Resource Management System) publishes those detections publicly, usually within a few hours of the overpass.
Each satellite passes over a given point a small number of times per day, so the map is a series of snapshots rather than a continuous video. A fire that started after the last overpass will not appear until the next one.
Reading the map honestly
A fire pixel is not the same thing as a wildfire. The same thermal signature is produced by agricultural burning, gas flares at oil fields, industrial heat sources and controlled burns. During certain seasons, large parts of central Africa, India and Southeast Asia light up with agricultural clearing — real fires, but not emergencies.
Thick cloud blocks the sensor. A quiet patch on the map can mean no fire, or it can mean cloud cover during the overpass.
To use it well, look for clusters that persist across days, and compare against the terrain. That is where the 3D view earns its place — a fire front moving up a valley reads completely differently on a globe with real elevation than as a dot on a flat map.
Turning the layer on
Active fires are one of the optional layers. Core features run with no keys at all; a free NASA FIRMS key unlocks fire detections, in the same way an AISStream key unlocks live ships. Keys stay in your browser.
Common questions
Where does the wildfire data come from?
NASA FIRMS active fire detections, derived from thermal infrared measurements by MODIS and VIIRS instruments in orbit.
How quickly do new fires appear?
Detections typically publish within a few hours of a satellite overpass. Because each satellite passes a given point only a few times daily, the map updates in steps rather than continuously.
Does every dot mean a wildfire?
No. Thermal anomalies also come from agricultural burning, gas flares and industrial heat. Persistent clusters over multiple days are the stronger signal.
Do I need an API key for fires?
A free NASA FIRMS key is needed for this layer. The core globe and several other layers work without any keys.
Can I use this for emergency decisions?
No. Follow your local fire service and official evacuation guidance. This is a visualisation of published satellite detections with known gaps from cloud cover and overpass timing.
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