Satellite detection
VIIRS instruments detect unusual heat in a ground pixel. The nominal pixel size is 375 metres, but the fire can be smaller than the pixel.
UK satellite fire checker
Where Is the Nearest Wildfire to Me?
Enter a full UK postcode to find the nearest nominal or high-confidence vegetation-fire detection seen by NASA satellites during the last 24 hours.
- Distance
- Detected
- Detection confidence
- Satellite
- Fire radiative power
- NASA data updated
Latest 24 hours
Recent UK satellite fire detections
Waiting for data
Nominal confidenceHigh confidenceSearched postcode
Each red or orange point is a satellite heat detection, not a confirmed wildfire perimeter. Several points can relate to the same fire. The postcode marker uses the centre point of the postcode.
Community report
Report a wildfire in your area
Tell other visitors where the fire is and what you can see. This form does not contact the emergency services. Move to a safe place and call 999 if there is danger.
Important safety information
What this map can and cannot tell you
Not a confirmed incident
A detection can be a vegetation fire or another hot source. This tool does not show fire-service attendance, road closures or evacuation areas.
Fires can be missed
Small fires and fires below cloud or thick smoke can be missed. There can also be a delay before the next satellite passes over the UK.
If you see a fire or are in danger, move to a safe place and call 999. Do not use this map to decide whether an area is safe.
How the result works
How this wildfire checker works
Find your postcode point
The checker gets the centre point of your full postcode from postcodes.io.
Read recent NASA data
Once each hour, GB Maps gets nominal and high-confidence vegetation-fire detections from three NASA VIIRS feeds.
Calculate the nearest point
The checker measures the direct distance from your postcode point to each detection from the latest 24 hours.
Common questions
UK wildfire map questions
Does this map show confirmed wildfires?
No. It shows NASA satellite heat detections that match the selected confidence and vegetation-fire filters. A fire and rescue service is the authority for a confirmed incident.
How current is the data?
The data update job runs once each hour. The map uses detections acquired during the latest 24 hours. NASA data becomes available after a satellite pass and processing.
What does nominal or high confidence mean?
NASA gives each VIIRS detection a confidence class. This tool removes low-confidence detections to reduce false alerts. A higher class still does not confirm a wildfire.
What is fire radiative power?
Fire radiative power is the measured radiant heat output in megawatts at the satellite observation time. It is not a fire-size measurement or a safety rating.
Why are several points close together?
A large fire can cover several satellite pixels. Different satellites can also detect the same area at different times.
Community updates
User reports
These reports are submitted by visitors and are not verified by GB Maps or the emergency services.
Map and detection sources
Fire detections: NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), using the Suomi NPP, NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 VIIRS near-real-time feeds. UK boundary filter: Office for National Statistics Open Geography Portal. Postcode locations: postcodes.io. Base map: OpenStreetMap contributors.