Use NASA’s FIRMS map to look for recent satellite-detected heat near your community, then check your local fire agency and emergency alerts for current conditions. FIRMS markers are thermal-anomaly detections—not confirmed wildfire reports or fire boundaries—and the map itself warns: “Do not use for the preservation of life or property.” If you see flames or smoke, receive an official warning, or are told to leave, follow emergency instructions rather than waiting for a map update.
How to check a satellite fire map near your location
- Open the map. Go to NASA FIRMS Fire Map. It offers global and US/Canada map views. Find the community or general area you want to check; treat the map as a situational-awareness tool, not an emergency decision system.
- Inspect the active-fire detections. Select or view the active-fire layer, then check which sensor reported each marker: VIIRS or MODIS. The colored square represents an approximate sensor pixel, not a surveyed fire boundary or a claim that the whole square is burning.
- Open a marker’s details. Check its acquisition date and time, displayed in UTC, and the sensor name. NASA describes FIRMS active-fire data as near real time and says distribution is within three hours of satellite observation. That is a delivery window, not a guarantee that a marker is exactly three hours old; use the displayed timestamp to judge its age.
- Check official local information. Look for updates from your fire service, emergency-management agency, or other relevant local authority. Use those sources for confirmed incidents, evacuation zones, road closures, and protective instructions.
What a marker means—and what it does not
A FIRMS marker is a satellite-derived thermal anomaly: a place where the sensor detected heat. It may be a wildfire, but heat from agricultural activity or another source can also trigger a detection. A marker is a reason to check reliable local information, not proof of a wildfire.
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The square indicates an approximate pixel footprint. NASA gives nominal footprints of about 375 m × 375 m for VIIRS and 1 km × 1 km for MODIS. The footprint is not a fire perimeter: a small, intense heat source or a broader fire can be represented within a pixel, and the detected location should not be treated as an exact ignition point. These dimensions also are not safety radii and do not show how close a fire is to a particular home with survey-level precision.
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Acquisition time matters
The acquisition timestamp is when the satellite observed the anomaly, shown in UTC. FIRMS distributes MODIS and VIIRS active-fire data within three hours of observation, according to NASA Applied Sciences. A fire can change after that observation, so a recent marker is not a live view of conditions on the ground.
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VIIRS and MODIS show detections differently
VIIRS has a finer nominal footprint than MODIS—about 375 m versus about 1 km—and NASA notes that VIIRS has improved nighttime performance. It may therefore show more detections. A difference in the number or pattern of points between layers does not, by itself, prove that a fire has grown or shrunk: sensor characteristics and observation times can also account for it. Compare the sensor and timestamp before interpreting a change.
Confidence is not a probability of wildfire
FIRMS may provide a confidence value. NASA’s Fire Alert Notes describe the MODIS confidence value as experimental, advise using it cautiously, and note that its meaning may vary around the world. Do not read a confidence score as the probability that a marker is a wildfire.
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Why a marker may be misleading—or missing
A detection can have another heat source
Thermal anomalies can come from sources other than wildfires, including agricultural activity. The sensor’s pixel size and observation geometry also limit how precisely a marker locates heat. Check local agency information before treating a point as a confirmed incident or estimating its distance from a property.
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A fire may not appear in the map if it starts and ends between satellite overpasses, is obscured by cloud or heavy smoke, is hidden by tree canopy, or is too small or cool for the sensor to detect. NASA notes that a fire too small or cool for MODIS’s 1 km footprint can be missed. A blank map is not evidence that there is no fire nearby.
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Use local alerts—not map distance—to decide what to do
There is no universal distance from a satellite marker that establishes whether a place is safe or whether evacuation is needed. Authorities can use current incident information and ground reports alongside satellite data to set evacuation boundaries and give instructions. Do not wait for a marker to appear, or use its position to overrule an official warning.
In the United States, FEMA advises following your community warning system, the Emergency Alert System (EAS), or NOAA Weather Radio. Its wildfire guidance says, “Evacuate. Leave immediately if authorities tell you to.” Read FEMA’s How to Stay Safe When a Wildfire Threatens. Outside the United States, use the equivalent fire service, civil-protection authority, or emergency-management agency and its local warning channels. If you see immediate danger, contact emergency services and follow current official directions.
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For help navigating the map and understanding its limitations, NASA provides FIRMS tutorials, resources, and examples.
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