Methodology and data sources

This page explains where the map data comes from, how we process it and what its limitations are. Official information from the authorities always prevails over the information on this site.

1. Satellite detection (NASA FIRMS)

Hotspots come from NASA's FIRMS system, which publishes in near real time the thermal anomalies detected by the VIIRS sensors (NOAA-21, NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP satellites, about 375 m resolution) and MODIS (Terra and Aqua satellites, about 1,000 m). Our server queries FIRMS every 5 minutes, keeps the detections from the last 24 hours over Spain and removes duplicates between satellites located less than 1 km apart.

For each hotspot we show the satellite overpass time (converted to Spanish mainland time), the fire radiative power (FRP, in megawatts), which indicates its intensity, and the confidence level assigned by NASA.

2. From hotspots to fires

• Detections chained less than 2 km apart are grouped into the same fire.
• Province and autonomous community are assigned using official administrative boundaries (point in polygon).
• The place name is that of the nearest municipality or settlement, based on a municipality index and OpenStreetMap. When the municipality is some distance away we show it as "near".
• Each fire has its own page, which keeps its identifier while the fire is active and after it ends.

3. When we say a fire is confirmed

We mark a fire as confirmed when any of these conditions is met:

• It matches (within 1.5 km) a Copernicus EFFIS burnt-area perimeter whose date is compatible with the detection (±21 days).
• It matches a fire published by an official source (for example the Junta de Castilla y León, the Generalitat de Catalunya or Copernicus EMS).
• It groups several detections (three or more) or has medium or high intensity (FRP of 50 MW or more).

All other fires are shown as possible: they may be real fires, but also agricultural burning, an industrial heat source or another false positive.

4. Industrial hotspot filter

Some facilities (factories, refineries, gas flares) emit heat continuously and are detected by satellites every day. When a point appears on many different days (20 or more within 45 days), without an EFFIS burnt area and with limited intensity, we classify it as an industrial hotspot and do not count it as a wildfire.

5. Fire danger (FWI)

Each province's danger level comes from the Fire Weather Index published by Copernicus EFFIS from ECMWF forecasts, in six classes (from low to very extreme). For each province we compute the class reached by at least 90% of its territory.

6. Official history

Historical series by province come from the General Statistics of Forest Fires (EGIF) of Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO). Statistics for the current year are based on satellite detections and are not official burnt-area figures.

7. Important limitations

• Satellites only pass over a few times a day: there may be hours without data for an active fire.
• Clouds, dense smoke or terrain can prevent detection; small or low-intensity fires may not appear.
• The position of each hotspot is approximate (between 375 m and 1 km).
• A detection does not necessarily mean a wildfire: it may be authorised burning or an industrial source.
• Official data may be published late or become temporarily unavailable.

Do not use this map to make safety decisions. If you see a fire, call 112 and follow the authorities' instructions.

8. Sources and attributions

• NASA FIRMS — Fire Information for Resource Management System (VIIRS and MODIS).
• Copernicus EFFIS — European Forest Fire Information System (burnt areas and FWI) and Copernicus EMS.
• Regional official sources and MITECO (EGIF).
• © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) for geocoding.
• Index of municipalities and settlements: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).
• EOxCloudless satellite basemap (Sentinel-2, CC BY 4.0) and CARTO labels.

Spotted a mistake? Write to us from the contact page.