Maiwut fire, 14 January 2026 Luakpiny/Nasir, Maiwut, Longochuk
The fire started on 14 January 2026 in Maiwut, South Sudan, and satellites saw it burning for 66 days. Copernicus’s global GWIS system rebuilt a burnt perimeter of 193,143 hectares from heat detections, spread across 4 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.
Other fire pages in the same area and on the same dates:
- 49,326 haJikawo2 February 2026 · 43 days
- 18,321 haWantawoFebruary 2026 · 48 days
- 17,907 haUlang19 February 2026 · 30 days
- 15,144 haLare3 February 2026 · 40 days
- 7,866 haMaiwut1 January 2026 · 15 days
- 6,967 haUlang10 February 2026 · 1 day
- 6,178 haMaiwut4 January 2026 · 15 days
- 5,888 haMaiwutFebruary 2026 · 31 days
It is the largest fire in Upper Nile since 2016 (of 285 with a page). Number 2 in South Sudan in 2026, of 190.
Compare with…
- Burnt area
- 193,143ha
- GWIS perimeter (Copernicus)
- Duration
- 66days
- 14 Jan 2026 – 20 Mar 2026
- Municipalities hit
- 4
- counties
- Started on
- 14 Jan
- 2026
- Heat detections
- 8,743
- in a single hotspot: 170 MW
- Danger at start
- 50
- Extreme · FWI index
- Average daily power
- 1.6GW
- detected power per day, on average
Where it burned
How it evolved, day by day
Fire radiative power detected each day, in megawatts, and number of hotspots. The magenta bar marks the peak day.
The weather it burned in
It had gone more than two months without rain (1 mm or more) when it started. Rain came after the fire: 6.9 mm on 21 Mar.
This area had burned before
93% of the perimeter overlaps earlier fires recorded since 2016: 54,380 ha in 2016, 101,776 ha in 2017, 24,775 ha in 2018, 72,314 ha in 2019, 91,805 ha in 2020, 111,065 ha in 2021, 123,350 ha in 2022, 83,024 ha in 2023, 73,492 ha in 2024, 86,943 ha in 2025. Part of it burned more than once, so the yearly figures add up to more than the 179,128 ha that had burned before.
- 21,270 ha Luakpiny/Nasir fire, January 2017 34,778 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
- 19,094 ha Maiwut fire, February 2024 18,640 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
- 8,778 ha Maiwut fire, February 2020 6,498 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
- 8,237 ha Maiwut fire, February 2022 5,215 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
- 7,209 ha Luakpiny/Nasir fire, February 2019 8,095 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
- 6,877 ha Maiwut fire, February 2025 7,177 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
- 5,928 ha Maiwut fire, February 2020 7,607 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
- 5,295 ha Luakpiny/Nasir fire, February 2022 6,140 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
How big is it?
London boundary: geoBoundaries · Office for National Statistics (Open Government Licence v3.0).
Paris boundary: geoBoundaries · Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière (IGN-F) (Etalab Open License 2.0).
Madrid boundary: geoBoundaries · Open Data ESRI, IGN Central Registry of Cartography Area (CC BY 4.0).
Berlin boundary: geoBoundaries · Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (dl-de/by-2-0).
This compares size, not location: both shapes are at the same scale, north up, centred on each other.
What happened to each town
-
104,798 ha reached on 17 Jan20 %
-
Maiwut where it started76,959 ha reached on 14 Jan21 %
-
2,899 ha reached on 17 Jan0.4 %
-
104 ha reached on 15 Feb0.0 %
Burnt area inside each municipality, from crossing the GWIS perimeter with administrative boundaries. The distance runs from the point marking the centre of each area to the nearest fire: staying a kilometre away does not mean it reached the houses.
People and buildings inside the perimeter
GHSL 2025Inside the perimeter there were about 8.2 hectares of built-up land and about 18,000 residents (GHSL 2025, satellite-based estimate).
This is an estimate on 100 m cells, made from satellite imagery and census data: it does not mean that homes burned or that anyone was harmed. The perimeter also contains land that never burned. The GHSL 2025 epoch is a projection made from 2020 and earlier data.
Source: Global Human Settlement Layer (GHS-BUILT-S and GHS-POP R2023A), European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), © European Union, CC BY 4.0. Sum inside the perimeter computed by WorldFires. human-settlement.emergency.copernicus.eu
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan | 37.3 °C | 19 % | 34 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 50 |
| 15 Jan | 36.7 °C | 21 % | 32 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 47 |
| 16 Jan | 35.3 °C | 21 % | 37 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 53 |
| 17 Jan | 36.5 °C | 19 % | 38 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 56 |
| 18 Jan | 38.4 °C | 20 % | 33 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 50 |
| 19 Jan | 37.7 °C | 20 % | 29 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 49 |
| 20 Jan | 38.7 °C | 21 % | 25 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 44 |
| 21 Jan | 38.4 °C | 22 % | 23 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 44 |
| 22 Jan | 38.3 °C | 21 % | 26 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 45 |
| 23 Jan | 39.2 °C | 13 % | 25 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 46 |
| 24 Jan | 39.8 °C | 15 % | 26 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 48 |
| 25 Jan | 40.4 °C | 13 % | 22 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 48 |
| 26 Jan | 40.4 °C | 12 % | 22 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 50 |
| 27 Jan | 40.0 °C | 15 % | 22 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 51 |
| 28 Jan | 37.8 °C | 20 % | 34 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 51 |
| 29 Jan | 38.7 °C | 15 % | 25 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 49 |
| 30 Jan | 39.8 °C | 17 % | 27 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 51 |
| 31 Jan | 37.0 °C | 18 % | 32 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 53 |
| 1 Feb | 35.3 °C | 29 % | 40 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 48 |
| 2 Feb | 37.9 °C | 19 % | 17 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 41 |
| 3 Feb | 39.4 °C | 15 % | 32 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 51 |
| 4 Feb | 39.9 °C | 18 % | 24 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 45 |
| 5 Feb | 35.4 °C | 19 % | 35 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 53 |
| 6 Feb | 38.6 °C | 22 % | 23 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 42 |
| 7 Feb | 39.6 °C | 12 % | 27 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 50 |
| 8 Feb | 39.3 °C | 18 % | 24 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 49 |
| 9 Feb | 37.7 °C | 25 % | 30 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 46 |
| 10 Feb | 35.8 °C | 30 % | 36 km/h | 0.1 mm | Very high 44 |
| 11 Feb | 38.9 °C | 17 % | 18 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 41 |
| 12 Feb | 37.9 °C | 15 % | 21 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 44 |
| 13 Feb | 40.1 °C | 14 % | 21 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 45 |
| 14 Feb | 38.8 °C | 17 % | 31 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 50 |
| 15 Feb | 38.4 °C | 25 % | 34 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 49 |
| 16 Feb | 37.6 °C | 26 % | 34 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 47 |
| 17 Feb | 38.9 °C | 24 % | 25 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 41 |
| 18 Feb | 39.2 °C | 20 % | 34 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 48 |
| 19 Feb | 35.6 °C | 28 % | 34 km/h | 0.1 mm | Very high 44 |
| 20 Feb | 37.8 °C | 22 % | 20 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 38 |
| 21 Feb | 38.6 °C | 16 % | 22 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 42 |
| 22 Feb | 38.5 °C | 15 % | 28 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 47 |
| 23 Feb | 38.3 °C | 12 % | 36 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 56 |
| 24 Feb | 36.8 °C | 12 % | 41 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 58 |
| 25 Feb | 37.1 °C | 14 % | 37 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 60 |
| 26 Feb | 37.3 °C | 17 % | 37 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 58 |
| 27 Feb | 37.5 °C | 16 % | 36 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 57 |
| 28 Feb | 37.5 °C | 13 % | 34 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 56 |
| 1 Mar | 37.6 °C | 15 % | 26 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 51 |
| 2 Mar | 36.5 °C | 12 % | 26 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 54 |
| 3 Mar | 36.5 °C | 10 % | 41 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 63 |
| 4 Mar | 36.6 °C | 8 % | 44 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 67 |
| 5 Mar | 36.7 °C | 9 % | 35 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 60 |
| 6 Mar | 37.3 °C | 10 % | 22 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 50 |
| 7 Mar | 37.9 °C | 13 % | 22 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 50 |
| 8 Mar | 39.2 °C | 10 % | 23 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 55 |
| 9 Mar | 39.2 °C | 10 % | 31 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 60 |
| 10 Mar | 38.2 °C | 10 % | 35 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 61 |
| 11 Mar | 38.5 °C | 17 % | 28 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 50 |
| 12 Mar | 41.1 °C | 10 % | 19 km/h | 0.0 mm | Very high 49 |
| 13 Mar | 39.8 °C | 18 % | 32 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 53 |
| 14 Mar | 40.5 °C | 18 % | 28 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 51 |
| 15 Mar | 38.9 °C | 24 % | 40 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 54 |
| 16 Mar | 39.0 °C | 24 % | 40 km/h | 0.0 mm | Extreme 54 |
| 17 Mar | 36.8 °C | 28 % | 33 km/h | 1.5 mm | High 36 |
| 18 Mar | 34.1 °C | 39 % | 32 km/h | 3.7 mm | Moderate 14 |
| 19 Mar | 36.4 °C | 31 % | 29 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 28 |
| 20 Mar | 39.4 °C | 25 % | 32 km/h | 0.9 mm | High 33 |
| 21 Mar after | 29.3 °C | 50 % | 33 km/h | 6.9 mm | Very low 5 |
Before and after, from space
Drag the line to compare the same ground before the fire and after it.
If the day is cloudy, change the date: each satellite passes once a day. In false colour the burnt ground looks brown or red.
The smoke
CAMS · CopernicusOn 11 March 2026 the air beside the fire reached 116 µg/m³ of PM2.5. That day averaged 69: 4.6 times the WHO daily guideline (15).
Particles from the Copernicus CAMS model at the centre of the perimeter; these are not measurements in each town. The pale bar is the worst hour, the solid one the daily average.
Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0) · Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS)
Detections table · 8,743Every satellite heat detection, one by one, with time, satellite, power and coordinates.
| Date and time | Satellite | FRP (MW) | Lat | Lon |
|---|
Other fires nearby
Frequently asked questions
- How long did the Maiwut fire last?
- According to the heat detections seen by satellite inside the perimeter, it burned from 14 January 2026 to 20 March 2026 (66 days). The perimeter dates it from 21 January 2026 to 15 March 2026.
- How much area did it burn?
- The perimeter GWIS (Copernicus) rebuilt from heat detections is 193,143 hectares (1,931.4 km²). It is an estimate: official national figures may differ.
- Which municipalities burned?
- The fire entered 4 municipalities: Luakpiny/Nasir (104,798 ha, 20 %); Maiwut (76,959 ha, 21 %); Longochuk (2,899 ha, 0.4 %); Ulang (104 ha, 0.0 %).
- What was the weather like?
- During the fire the temperature reached 41.1 °C, humidity dropped to 8 % and gusts hit 44 km/h. The fire danger index (FWI) reached 67, class Extreme.
- Where does this data come from?
- From the GWIS (Copernicus) burnt perimeter, NASA FIRMS VIIRS hotspots and the administrative boundaries of South Sudan (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
History of this page · 2 Changes in area, dates, name, official record or merged pages, compared every night since 24 October 2026.
- Last day with fire: 15 March 2026 → 20 March 2026.
- Start date: 21 January 2026 → 14 January 2026.
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.
Report an error
How we know this
- Perimeter: GWIS (Copernicus), rebuilt from heat detections rather than mapped on imagery; 11 polygons grouped in this page.
- Dates adjusted with the VIIRS detections inside the perimeter, which said 21 January 2026 to 15 March 2026. 8,743 Suomi-NPP VIIRS detections on those dates.
- We have not matched this page with any official record.
- Weather: Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis at the fire location, in cells of about 25 km.
- Built-up area and population come from the JRC Global Human Settlement Layer (epoch 2025, 100 m cells), summed inside the perimeter: an estimate of what was there, not a damage count.
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 ADM2 (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Intergovernmental Organisations (CC BY 3.0 IGO)). 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.