Wildfires in New Zealand Today
Live active-fire map for New Zealand from NASA FIRMS satellite data. Where fires are burning right now — updated hourly. Typical fire season: December–March.
4 km/h from the NW — carrying smoke towards the SE.
-2°C · 78% humidity
Air quality Good
PM2.5 4.5 µg/m³ this hour · EU AQI 14 · US AQI 33
Air quality is good. No precautions needed.
Wind direction only — not a smoke dispersion forecast. Air quality is modelled, not a street-level measurement. Weather from MET Norway; air quality from Open-Meteo (Copernicus CAMS). Both CC BY 4.0.
5 active fires in New Zealand
Neighbouring detections grouped into single incidents, largest first.
- 182 MW56 km W of Christchurch, New Zealand4 detectionslast seen 2026-08-05 02:36 UTC-43.348, 171.992
- 234 MWRemote area3 detectionslast seen 2026-08-05 02:36 UTC-44.976, 170.011
- 321 MWRemote area4 detectionslast seen 2026-08-05 02:34 UTC-46.086, 169.574
- 416 MW95 km N of Christchurch, New Zealand3 detectionslast seen 2026-08-05 02:36 UTC-42.691, 172.841
- 53 MW39 km S of Auckland, New Zealand3 detectionslast seen 2026-08-05 12:17 UTC-37.202, 174.720
Plus 8 smaller heat detections — often agricultural burning rather than wildfire.
About this wildfire map
This map uses NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), which publishes active-fire detections from the VIIRS and MODIS instruments aboard NASA and NOAA satellites. Each dot is a thermal “hotspot” where the sensor measured fire-level heat, usually within 3 hours of the satellite passing overhead. It shows where fires are actively burning — not fire perimeters or evacuation zones. For safety and evacuation information, always follow your local emergency services.