Free tools · Seen from space
Fire in Ekurhuleni
Fire in the twelve months to October 2026: 1,195 fire detections seen from space; 927 ha burnt in the 7 of those months with burnt area out. The most since 2012: 2012, 1,625.
Two readings from space. Fire detections are hot spots a VIIRS satellite saw as it passed, each about 375 m across, counted where they fall in the place: a big fire gives many, a short one between passes none. Burnt area is the ground that looks burnt afterwards, from Sentinel-3 at 300 m, in hectares. Neither is a fire report from the ground.
The last twelve months
- 1,195Fire detectionsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- 927 haBurnt7 of the twelve months; the rest not out yet
Show the numbers
| When or what | Figure |
|---|---|
| November 2025 | 10 fire detections |
| December 2025 | 13 fire detections |
| January 2026 | 17 fire detections |
| February 2026 | 18 fire detections |
| March 2026 | 11 fire detections |
| April 2026 | 15 fire detections |
| May 2026 | 100 fire detections |
| June 2026 | 287 fire detections |
| July 2026 | 260 fire detections |
| August 2026 | 208 fire detections |
| September 2026 | 91 fire detections |
| October 2026 | 165 fire detections |
| November 2025 | 0.0 ha burnt (0.000% of the place) |
| December 2025 | 0.0 ha burnt (0.000% of the place) |
| January 2026 | 0.0 ha burnt (0.000% of the place) |
| February 2026 | 0.0 ha burnt (0.000% of the place) |
| March 2026 | 0.0 ha burnt (0.000% of the place) |
| April 2026 | 122 ha burnt (0.062% of the place) |
| May 2026 | 805 ha burnt (0.41% of the place) |
| June 2026 | not out yet |
| July 2026 | not out yet |
| August 2026 | not out yet |
| September 2026 | not out yet |
| October 2026 | not out yet |
| Month | Detections | Nominal or high confidence | NOAA-20 (second reading) | Burnt | Share of the place | Land seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 165 | 154 | 176 | not out yet | · | · |
| September 2026 | 91 | 89 | 94 | not out yet | · | · |
| August 2026 | 208 | 198 | 243 | not out yet | · | · |
| July 2026 | 260 | 253 | 402 | not out yet | · | · |
| June 2026 | 287 | 281 | 328 | not out yet | · | · |
| May 2026 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 805 ha | 0.41% | 99% |
| April 2026 | 15 | 15 | 28 | 122 ha | 0.062% | 99% |
| March 2026 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 0.0 ha | 0.000% | 99% |
| February 2026 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 0.0 ha | 0.000% | 99% |
| January 2026 | 17 | 17 | 25 | 0.0 ha | 0.000% | 99% |
| December 2025 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 0.0 ha | 0.000% | 99% |
| November 2025 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 0.0 ha | 0.000% | 99% |
NOAA-20 carries the same instrument as S-NPP and passes about 50 minutes apart, so its count is a second reading of the same fires, not extra fires. “Land seen” is the share of the place’s land the burnt-area product saw often enough that month to tell.
The worst years
- 20121,625 fire detections, most in May 2012
- 20131,596 fire detections, most in June 2013
- 20181,530 fire detections, most in June 2018
By hectares burnt (whole years from 2019): 2020, 12,926 ha (6.5% of the place); 2019, 10,953 ha (5.5% of the place); 2021, 10,527 ha (5.3% of the place).
Every year since 2012
| Year | Fire detections | Burnt | Share of the place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (10 months) | 1,172 | 5 months out | · |
| 2025 | 1,075 | 8,041 ha | 4.1% |
| 2024 | 1,207 | 9,428 ha | 4.8% |
| 2023 | 1,443 | 8,605 ha | 4.4% |
| 2022 | 1,065 | 8,281 ha | 4.2% |
| 2021 | 1,216 | 10,527 ha | 5.3% |
| 2020 | 1,476 | 12,926 ha | 6.5% |
| 2019 | 1,331 | 10,953 ha | 5.5% |
| 2018 | 1,530 | 6 months out | · |
| 2017 | 1,357 | · | · |
| 2016 | 973 | · | · |
| 2015 | 1,319 | · | · |
| 2014 | 1,524 | · | · |
| 2013 | 1,596 | · | · |
| 2012 (11 months) | 1,625 | · | · |
Detections from February 2012 (S-NPP); burnt area from July 2018, so whole years of it from 2019. A larger place’s figures are the sums of its 2026 wards.
Each ward
- Ward 1 (Midfield Estate, Midlands Estate)
- Ward 2 (Maokeng, Clayville)
- Ward 3 (Maokeng, Clayville)
- Ward 4 (Caleni, Moyeni)
- Ward 5 (Kopanong, Makhulong)
- Ward 6 (Endulweni, Gqagqeni)
- Ward 7 (Maokeng, Temong)
- Ward 8 (Isekelo, Mmangweni)
- Ward 9 (Lifateng, Motsu)
- Ward 10 (Thembisa, Lekaneng)
- Ward 11 (Mfuyaneni, Mnonjaneni)
- Ward 12 (Chloorkop)
- Ward 13 (Birch Acres)
- Ward 14 (Ethafeni, Jiyana)
- Ward 15 (Birchleigh, Glenmarais)
- Ward 16 (Kempton Park, Allen Grove)
- Ward 17 (Cress Lawn, Croydon)
- Ward 18 (De Klerkshof, Eden Glen)
- Ward 19 (Dowerglen, Dunvegan)
- Ward 20 (Bedfordview, Essexwold)
- Ward 21 (Knights, Berton Park)
- Ward 22 (Beyerspark, Boksburg Wes)
- Ward 23 (Atlasville, Bonaero Park)
- Ward 24 (Brentwood, Crystal Park)
- Ward 25 (Cilvale AH, Geestveld AH)
- Ward 26 (Etwatwa)
- Ward 27 (Morehill, Northmead)
- Ward 28 (Airfield, Alphen Park)
- Ward 29 (Actonville)
- Ward 30 (Nestadt, Tamboville)
- Ward 31 (Dalpark, Leachville)
- Ward 32 (Boksburg, Boksburg Noord)
- Ward 33 (Berton Park, Delmore)
- Ward 34 (Reigerpark, Opmekaar)
- Ward 35 (Germiston, Delville)
- Ward 36 (Dawnview, Fisher's Hill)
- Ward 37 (Elandshaven, Verwoerdpark)
- Ward 38 (Bracken Downs, Brackenhurst)
- Ward 39 (Albermarle, Castleview)
- Ward 40 (Leondale, Rondebult)
- Ward 41 (Rondebult)
- Ward 42 (Elspark, Tedstoneville)
- Ward 43 (Dawn Park, Freeway Park)
- Ward 44 (Vosloorus, Moseleki East)
- Ward 45 (Villa Liza)
- Ward 46 (Vosloorus)
- Ward 47 (Vosloorus, Moleleki)
- Ward 48 (Moseleki, Moseleki East)
- Ward 49 (Mopeli, Motsamai)
- Ward 50 (Moshoeshoe, Skozana)
- Ward 51 (Nhlapo, Tsongweni)
- Ward 52 (Maphanga)
- Ward 53 (Greenfields)
- Ward 54 (Thokoza, Ncala)
- Ward 55 (Katlehong, Ncala)
- Ward 56 (Thokoza)
- Ward 57 (Edenpark)
- Ward 58 (Palm Ridge, Greenfields)
- Ward 59 (Mngadi, Monise)
- Ward 60 (Moleleki, Khumalo Valley)
- Ward 61 (Palm Ridge, Magagula)
- Ward 62 (Magagula, Zonkizizwe)
- Ward 63 (Khumalo Valley, Likole)
- Ward 64 (Zonkizizwe, Vosloorus)
- Ward 65 (Etwatwa)
- Ward 66 (Etwatwa)
- Ward 67 (Etwatwa)
- Ward 68 (Daveyton, Etwatwa)
- Ward 69 (Daveyton)
- Ward 70 (Daveyton)
- Ward 71 (Modderbee)
- Ward 72 (Bakerton, Dersley)
- Ward 73 (Benoni, Dewald Hattinghpark)
- Ward 74 (Springs, Dal Fouche')
- Ward 75 (East Geduld, Grootvaly SH)
- Ward 76 (Casseldale, Daggafontein)
- Ward 77 (Mthembu Village, Thembilisha)
- Ward 78 (KwaThema, Masimini)
- Ward 79 (White City, Thembilisha)
- Ward 80 (Thembilisha, Masimini)
- Ward 81 (Labore, Thembilisha)
- Ward 82 (Geluksdal, Labore)
- Ward 83 (Tsakane)
- Ward 84 (Bluegum View, Tsakane)
- Ward 85 (Tsakane)
- Ward 86 (Duduza)
- Ward 87 (Bluegum View, Masetjhaba View)
- Ward 88 (Nigel, Alrapark)
- Ward 89 (Clayville, Hospital View)
- Ward 90 (Vusimuzi)
- Ward 91 (Birchleigh North, Esselenpark)
- Ward 92 (Activia Park, Barvallen)
- Ward 93 (Knights)
- Ward 94 (Albertsdal, Generaal Albertspark)
- Ward 95 (Spruitview, Vosloorus)
- Ward 96 (Putfontein)
- Ward 97 (Brakpan, Anzac)
- Ward 98 (Spaarwater)
- Ward 99 (Ethembeni Park, Windmill Park)
- Ward 100 (Makhulong, Hospital View)
- Ward 101 (Siluma View, Palm Ridge)
- Ward 102 (Ivory Park, Clayville)
- Ward 103 (Palm Ridge)
- Ward 104 (Edleen, Estherpark)
- Ward 105 (Dalview, Denneoord)
- Ward 106 (Alberton, Alberante)
- Ward 107 (Motluong, Spruitview)
- Ward 108 (Moleleki)
- Ward 109 (Etwatwa)
- Ward 110 (Chief Albert Luthuli Park)
- Ward 111 (Dunnottar)
- Ward 112 (Tsakane, Geluksdal)
Places in each ward: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Everything we hold for Ekurhuleni, on one page
Source
Seen from space by American and European satellites: not fires reported on the ground.
How we worked this out
What we changed: we counted FIRMS’s detections (presumed vegetation fires only) by the 2026 ward their position falls in, and summed CLMS’s burned fraction times each pixel’s area over each ward; municipalities, districts and provinces are the sums of their wards.
Fire detections: we acknowledge the use of data and/or imagery from NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), part of NASA’s LANCE (VIIRS 375 m, S-NPP and NOAA-20). Burnt area: generated using European Union’s Copernicus Land Monitoring Service information (Burnt Area 300 m version 4, DOI 10.2909/8fa58061-28ab-49bb-9b77-c26b50733e34), modified; this does not mean the European Union endorses us.
Dataset: burnt area and fire, release of 12 November 2026.