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Jore fire, January 2022 Jore, Akobo, Gambella Wild Life Reserve

Out · last detection 6 Apr 2022, 10:28 UTC

The fire started on 19 January 2022 in Jore, Ethiopia, and satellites saw it burning for 78 days. Copernicus’s global GWIS system rebuilt a burnt perimeter of 201,499 hectares from heat detections, spread across 5 municipalities.

This page is probably a fire complex, not a single fire. GWIS merges into one perimeter the fires that touch over weeks, which in large burning seasons can join dozens of separate fires. The total area is reliable; the origin and dates refer to the whole complex.

It is the largest fire in Gambela since 2016 (of 611 with a page). The largest in Ethiopia in 2022, of 135.

Burnt area
201,499ha
GWIS perimeter (Copernicus)
Duration
78days
19 Jan 2022 – 6 Apr 2022
Municipalities hit
5
districts
Started on
19 Jan
2022
Heat detections
10,559
in a single hotspot: 336 MW
Danger at start
38
Very high · FWI index
Energy released
114.1GW
sum of detected power

Where it burned

6 Apr 2022
HOTSPOTS BY DAY 19 Jan6 Apr

How it evolved, day by day

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Fire radiative power detected each day, in megawatts, and number of hotspots. The magenta bar marks the peak day.

The weather it burned in

42°high
52km/h · peak gust
5%lowest humidity

It had gone one day without rain (1 mm or more) when it started. Rain came after the fire: 6.1 mm on 11 Apr.

This area had burned before

92% of the perimeter overlaps earlier fires recorded since 2016: 46,420 ha in 2016, 103,258 ha in 2017, 61,547 ha in 2018, 81,232 ha in 2019, 31,729 ha in 2020, 133,377 ha in 2021. Part of it burned more than once, so the yearly figures add up to more than the 185,844 ha that had burned before.

What happened to each town

  1. Jore where it started
    167,811 ha reached on 19 Jan
    49 %
  2. Akobo
    15,196 ha reached on 28 Jan
    7.1 %
  3. Gambella Wild Life Reserve
    12,430 ha reached on 25 Jan
    26 %
  4. Jikawo
    7,092 ha reached on 24 Jan
    6.4 %
  5. Gog
    16 ha reached on 19 Jan
    0.0 %

Burnt area inside each municipality, from crossing the GWIS perimeter with administrative boundaries. The distance is from the town centre to the nearest fire: staying a kilometre away does not mean it reached the houses.

The weather day by day

ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at the fire location, the standard reference for past weather, and the Canadian Fire Weather Index (the same system Copernicus uses), computed by WorldFires from that data. Days after the fire run until the first rain.

Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0) · Copernicus Climate Change Service (ERA5)

Day High Min. humidity Peak gust Rain Danger (FWI)
19 Jan 35.0 °C 15 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 38
20 Jan 34.9 °C 14 % 34 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 42
21 Jan 36.8 °C 13 % 31 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 45
22 Jan 36.8 °C 16 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 41
23 Jan 37.4 °C 16 % 27 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 43
24 Jan 37.4 °C 13 % 24 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 40
25 Jan 38.1 °C 10 % 28 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 44
26 Jan 38.2 °C 17 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 46
27 Jan 37.8 °C 17 % 35 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 50
28 Jan 36.5 °C 19 % 35 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 49
29 Jan 37.1 °C 19 % 37 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 52
30 Jan 36.5 °C 17 % 32 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 49
31 Jan 37.7 °C 15 % 32 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 50
1 Feb 37.2 °C 14 % 35 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 52
2 Feb 37.9 °C 19 % 28 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 50
3 Feb 37.8 °C 17 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 45
4 Feb 39.3 °C 15 % 27 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 48
5 Feb 38.5 °C 11 % 38 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 58
6 Feb 36.8 °C 12 % 37 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 55
7 Feb 37.2 °C 13 % 34 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 56
8 Feb 38.1 °C 12 % 29 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 50
9 Feb 38.9 °C 13 % 23 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 50
10 Feb 39.1 °C 16 % 31 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 51
11 Feb 39.2 °C 13 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 53
12 Feb 37.8 °C 15 % 34 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 57
13 Feb 39.4 °C 16 % 28 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 49
14 Feb 39.9 °C 10 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 52
15 Feb 39.2 °C 12 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 51
16 Feb 40.0 °C 11 % 28 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 53
17 Feb 40.2 °C 11 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 54
18 Feb 40.1 °C 11 % 29 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 54
19 Feb 40.9 °C 8 % 37 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 65
20 Feb 38.6 °C 5 % 42 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 68
21 Feb 36.7 °C 8 % 32 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 62
22 Feb 38.3 °C 9 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 58
23 Feb 39.7 °C 9 % 32 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 59
24 Feb 39.9 °C 10 % 24 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 55
25 Feb 39.4 °C 10 % 31 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 63
26 Feb 39.0 °C 20 % 28 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 48
27 Feb 40.6 °C 9 % 23 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 52
28 Feb 39.9 °C 10 % 33 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 56
1 Mar 38.3 °C 22 % 37 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 62
2 Mar 39.5 °C 22 % 29 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 52
3 Mar 39.5 °C 19 % 43 km/h 0.1 mm Extreme 57
4 Mar 40.0 °C 18 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 47
5 Mar 41.2 °C 16 % 25 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 45
6 Mar 40.6 °C 14 % 33 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 51
7 Mar 41.4 °C 13 % 40 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 58
8 Mar 41.9 °C 16 % 44 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 61
9 Mar 41.4 °C 18 % 42 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 61
10 Mar 41.5 °C 17 % 40 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 59
11 Mar 40.5 °C 19 % 43 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 60
12 Mar 39.9 °C 16 % 33 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 52
13 Mar 39.4 °C 12 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 49
14 Mar 40.5 °C 13 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 52
15 Mar 39.5 °C 15 % 27 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 50
16 Mar 39.6 °C 10 % 37 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 62
17 Mar 38.5 °C 11 % 38 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 61
18 Mar 39.3 °C 13 % 30 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 55
19 Mar 38.8 °C 21 % 34 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 52
20 Mar 39.8 °C 20 % 22 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 46
21 Mar 39.9 °C 19 % 25 km/h 0.1 mm Very high 50
22 Mar 39.6 °C 17 % 24 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 50
23 Mar 39.0 °C 18 % 40 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 60
24 Mar 40.9 °C 15 % 24 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 48
25 Mar 40.4 °C 10 % 26 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 56
26 Mar 40.4 °C 18 % 29 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 54
27 Mar 39.9 °C 10 % 32 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 55
28 Mar 38.3 °C 23 % 28 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 46
29 Mar 37.5 °C 26 % 35 km/h 0.2 mm Very high 48
30 Mar 38.7 °C 22 % 39 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 50
31 Mar 39.9 °C 21 % 45 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 54
1 Apr 40.7 °C 21 % 49 km/h 0.0 mm Extreme 56
2 Apr 40.1 °C 20 % 46 km/h 0.1 mm Extreme 55
3 Apr 39.7 °C 24 % 52 km/h 0.2 mm Extreme 60
4 Apr 38.4 °C 27 % 33 km/h 2.4 mm Very high 39
5 Apr 39.5 °C 27 % 40 km/h 1.1 mm Very high 39
6 Apr 40.0 °C 24 % 43 km/h 0.5 mm Very high 46
7 Apr after 37.8 °C 26 % 36 km/h 0.3 mm Very high 48
8 Apr after 39.6 °C 23 % 30 km/h 0.3 mm Very high 40
9 Apr after 40.6 °C 19 % 37 km/h 0.0 mm Very high 49
10 Apr after 40.8 °C 19 % 37 km/h 0.2 mm Very high 49
11 Apr after 32.1 °C 37 % 39 km/h 6.1 mm Low 9

Before and after, from space

Drag the line to compare the same ground before the fire and after it.

Before · 12 Jan 2022
After · 13 Apr 2022

If the day is cloudy, change the date: each satellite passes once a day. In false colour the burnt ground looks brown or red.

Detections table · 10,559Every satellite heat detection, one by one, with time, satellite, power and coordinates.
⬇ Download CSV Times in UTC. Each detection is a 375 m pixel: a large fire yields hundreds per pass.
Date and timeSatelliteFRP (MW)LatLon

Other fires nearby

All fires in Ethiopia ›

Frequently asked questions

How long did the Jore fire last?
GWIS (Copernicus) dates it between 19 January 2022 and 6 April 2022: 78 days between the first and last heat detection of the perimeter.
How much area did it burn?
The perimeter GWIS (Copernicus) rebuilt from heat detections is 201,499 hectares (2,015.0 km²). It is an estimate: official national figures may differ.
Which municipalities burned?
The fire entered 5 municipalities: Jore (167,811 ha, 49 %); Akobo (15,196 ha, 7.1 %); Gambella Wild Life Reserve (12,430 ha, 26 %); Jikawo (7,092 ha, 6.4 %); Gog (16 ha, 0.0 %).
What was the weather like?
During the fire the temperature reached 41.9 °C, humidity dropped to 5 % and gusts hit 52 km/h. The fire danger index (FWI) reached 68, class Extreme.
Where does this data come from?
From the GWIS (Copernicus) burnt perimeter, NASA FIRMS VIIRS hotspots and the administrative boundaries of Ethiopia (geoBoundaries). It is not an official report.

Where to verify it

A satellite detection is not an official report. Final figures and the fire’s status are published by each country’s emergency service.

Satellite cross-check

Does something look wrong on this page?

This page is built from satellite data and official records, and it sometimes gets things wrong: the wrong dates, the wrong town, two fires merged into one, or something that was not a wildfire at all. If you know this fire first-hand (you live nearby, saw it, fought it or reported on it), tell us what really happened and we will check it.

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Where this data comes from

The perimeter comes from the Copernicus Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), which rebuilds it from MODIS and VIIRS heat detections and publishes it under CC BY 4.0. It is not measured on imagery as in Europe, so it is an estimate. Heat detections come from the VIIRS sensors aboard Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20, distributed by NASA FIRMS at 375 m resolution. Municipal boundaries come from geoBoundaries ADM3 (Open Data Commons Open Database License 1.0). The area per municipality is computed by WorldFires by crossing the perimeter with those boundaries, so it may differ from each country’s official figure.