Each dot is a hot spot a satellite detected: a fire, a controlled burn, a sugar cane burn or, rarely, an industrial heat source. They are not confirmed on the ground, and a dot near a road does not mean the road is closed.

Where can I check whether a road is affected?

On the road pages, from SANRAL's i-TRAFFIC, where the traffic centres report closures, and with your municipality and local fire services. In an emergency, call 10177 or 112 from a mobile.

Veld fires

Veld fires in South Africa today

Hot spots detected by satellite in the last day, by province and nearest town, from NASA FIRMS. Updated 18:34 SAST.

40 hot spots detected in the last day, most in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal. They are not confirmed fires.

Mpumalanga10

105 km from NewcastleThu 12 Nov, 21:23 SAST · 638 MW
126 km from NewcastleFri 13 Nov, 8:18 SAST · 400 MW
102 km from NewcastleFri 13 Nov, 8:18 SAST · 313 MW
106 km from NewcastleThu 12 Nov, 21:23 SAST · 255 MW
132 km from MbombelaFri 13 Nov, 8:18 SAST · 222 MW
85 km from PretoriaFri 13 Nov, 15:25 SAST · 181 MW
111 km from NewcastleThu 12 Nov, 21:23 SAST · 137 MW
118 km from NewcastleFri 13 Nov, 8:18 SAST · 132 MW
55 km from eMalahleniFri 13 Nov, 15:25 SAST · 100 MW
107 km from NewcastleThu 12 Nov, 21:23 SAST · 77 MW

Gauteng8

21 km from PretoriaThu 12 Nov, 21:23 SAST · 68 MW
24 km from PretoriaFri 13 Nov, 14:38 SAST · 61 MW
23 km from PretoriaThu 12 Nov, 21:23 SAST · 58 MW
25 km from PretoriaFri 13 Nov, 12:57 SAST · 57 MW
25 km from PretoriaFri 13 Nov, 12:57 SAST · 54 MW
26 km from PretoriaFri 13 Nov, 12:57 SAST · 54 MW
26 km from PretoriaFri 13 Nov, 12:57 SAST · 54 MW
22 km from PretoriaFri 13 Nov, 12:57 SAST · 50 MW

KwaZulu-Natal8

62 km from HowickFri 13 Nov, 8:20 SAST · 343 MW
37 km from HowickFri 13 Nov, 13:53 SAST · 101 MW
42 km from PietermaritzburgFri 13 Nov, 8:20 SAST · 92 MW
33 km from PietermaritzburgFri 13 Nov, 8:20 SAST · 77 MW
37 km from HowickFri 13 Nov, 12:55 SAST · 61 MW
36 km from HowickFri 13 Nov, 14:38 SAST · 57 MW
38 km from Richards BayFri 13 Nov, 12:55 SAST · 57 MW
36 km from HowickFri 13 Nov, 14:38 SAST · 52 MW

Limpopo6

86 km from PretoriaFri 13 Nov, 15:25 SAST · 125 MW
82 km from MokopaneFri 13 Nov, 15:25 SAST · 114 MW
55 km from MokopaneThu 12 Nov, 21:23 SAST · 74 MW
98 km from MiddelburgFri 13 Nov, 15:25 SAST · 52 MW
169 km from MusinaFri 13 Nov, 13:55 SAST · 50 MW
55 km from MokopaneThu 12 Nov, 21:23 SAST · 49 MW

Western Cape4

69 km from MalmesburyFri 13 Nov, 16:58 SAST · 111 MW
46 km from WorcesterFri 13 Nov, 14:36 SAST · 80 MW
24 km from Mossel BayFri 13 Nov, 13:51 SAST · 68 MW
At Cape Town International AirportFri 13 Nov, 14:36 SAST · 62 MW

Free State3

81 km from KroonstadFri 13 Nov, 12:55 SAST · 84 MW
81 km from KroonstadFri 13 Nov, 12:55 SAST · 55 MW
82 km from KroonstadFri 13 Nov, 13:53 SAST · 49 MW

Eastern Cape1

165 km from KomaniFri 13 Nov, 8:20 SAST · 69 MW

About this page

Is every dot a fire?: Each dot is a hot spot a satellite detected: a fire, a controlled burn, a sugar cane burn or, rarely, an industrial heat source. They are not confirmed on the ground, and a dot near a road does not mean the road is closed.
Where can I check whether a road is affected?: On the road pages, from SANRAL's i-TRAFFIC, where the traffic centres report closures, and with your municipality and local fire services. In an emergency, call 10177 or 112 from a mobile.

Accidents, closures, heavy traffic and road works on the national routes you pick, at 6 am South African time. Free, and one click to stop.

More options: more routes, or Mondays only.

Fire data: NASA FIRMS (Fire Information for Resource Management System), MODIS and VIIRS near-real-time detections, read 13 November 2026. We acknowledge the use of data from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (https://earthdata.nasa.gov/firms), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).

Traffic data: SANRAL i-TRAFFIC (i-traffic.co.za), shown with SANRAL's permission.