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ZW · Zimbabwe · Mashonaland West

Wildfires in Kariba

Kariba, Zimbabwe, has had 133 large fires recorded by GWIS since 2016: 325,562 hectares burned inside its boundaries, 40% of its area. Fire danger today: high (FWI 35).

Only fires of 1,000 ha or more get an entry: smaller ones are not in the lists or the totals on this page.

These figures leave out one provisional page, seen only as heat detections and still without a perimeter. They appear in the lists, marked.

Fire danger, today and the coming days

FWI computed from the Open-Meteo forecast
  1. Sat 24 Very high 36° · 25 % · 51 km/h
  2. Sun 25 High 33° · 29 % · 43 km/h
  3. Mon 26 High 35° · 24 % · 40 km/h
  4. Tue 27 Very high 36° · 16 % · 43 km/h
  5. Wed 28 Very high 36° · 21 % · 40 km/h
  6. Thu 29 High 35° · 30 % · 46 km/h
  7. Fri 30 High 32° · 36 % · 39 km/h
  8. Sat 31 High 34° · 26 % · 42 km/h

Canadian Fire Weather Index, the same system Copernicus uses, computed by WorldFires from the weather forecast and two months of past weather for fuel state. It is an estimate per municipality, not an official warning: warnings are issued by each country’s emergency service.

The municipality and its fires

Since 2016

325,562
hectares burned
40 %
of its area
133
fires
8,239
km²

How many times has Kariba burned?

Kariba has burned 133 times since 2016, in 11 years: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. The most recent: Kariba fire, October 2026, with 4,639 hectares inside the municipality.

  1. 16× 16
  2. 17× 17
  3. 18× 18
  4. 8× 19
  5. 5× 20
  6. 18× 21
  7. 15× 22
  8. 8× 23
  9. 5× 24
  10. 6× 25
  11. 17× 26
133
fires
11
years with fire
325,562
cumulative ha
17 Oct 2026
most recent

Fires larger than 1,000 hectares with a perimeter since 2016 that reached the municipality, even partly. Cumulative hectares add up every fire; the distinct area counts land that burned several times only once. Perimeters and boundaries overlaid by WorldFires.

Where it has burned most often in Zimbabwe →

Fires that entered Kariba

  1. 4,639 ha Kariba fire, October 2026 where it started 0.6% of the municipality · 4,623 ha in total · 4 days
  2. 1,064 ha Hurungwe fire, 15 October 2026 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 0 ha in total · 10 days
  3. 4,479 ha Kariba fire, 28 September 2026 where it started 0.5% of the municipality · 4,454 ha in total · 2 days
  4. 1,883 ha Kariba fire, 28 September 2026 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,873 ha in total · 2 days
  5. 965 ha Kariba fire, 17 September 2026 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,440 ha in total · 4 days
  6. 1,105 ha Kariba fire, 15 September 2026 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,099 ha in total · 5 days
  7. 1,055 ha Kariba fire, 14 September 2026 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,047 ha in total · 5 days
  8. 1,129 ha Kariba fire, 14 September 2026 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,122 ha in total · 2 days
  9. 5 ha Hurungwe fire, 14 September 2026 0.0% of the municipality · 1,913 ha in total · 6 days
  10. 1,457 ha Kariba fire, 10 September 2026 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,449 ha in total · 11 days
  11. 7,075 ha Hurungwe fire, 29 August 2026 0.9% of the municipality · 13,417 ha in total · 21 days
  12. 2,147 ha Kariba fire, 23 August 2026 where it started 0.3% of the municipality · 2,349 ha in total · 10 days
  13. 1,181 ha Kariba fire, 21 August 2026 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,176 ha in total · 3 days
  14. 1,010 ha Kariba fire, 20 August 2026 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,004 ha in total · 2 days
  15. 2,011 ha Kariba fire, 23 July 2026 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 2,000 ha in total · 3 days
  16. 1,047 ha Kariba fire, 10 July 2026 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,039 ha in total · 4 days
  17. 1,237 ha Kariba fire, 23 June 2026 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,278 ha in total · 3 days
  18. 1,306 ha Kariba fire, 20 June 2026 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,301 ha in total · 3 days
  19. 1,542 ha Kariba fire, 12 September 2025 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,533 ha in total · 5 days
  20. 7,154 ha Kariba fire, 8 September 2025 where it started 0.9% of the municipality · 9,246 ha in total · 11 days
  21. 1,076 ha Kariba fire, 2 September 2025 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,070 ha in total · 2 days
  22. 5,396 ha Kariba fire, 30 August 2025 where it started 0.6% of the municipality · 5,378 ha in total · 5 days
  23. 1,745 ha Kariba fire, 28 August 2025 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,739 ha in total · 3 days
  24. 881 ha Hurungwe fire, 10 June 2025 0.1% of the municipality · 4,558 ha in total · 3 days
  25. 1,167 ha Kariba fire, September 2024 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,160 ha in total · 4 days
  26. 1,690 ha Kariba fire, 29 July 2024 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,684 ha in total · 3 days
  27. 1 ha Hurungwe fire, 21 July 2024 0.0% of the municipality · 2,218 ha in total · 2 days
  28. 1,914 ha Kariba fire, 14 July 2024 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,908 ha in total · 3 days
  29. 512 ha Hurungwe fire, 20 June 2024 0.1% of the municipality · 1,671 ha in total · 4 days
  30. 5,469 ha Kariba fire, 9 October 2023 where it started 0.7% of the municipality · 5,437 ha in total · 6 days
  31. 1,125 ha Kariba fire, 9 October 2023 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,121 ha in total · 3 days
  32. 421 ha Hurungwe fire, 8 October 2023 0.0% of the municipality · 1,985 ha in total · 2 days
  33. 1,474 ha Kariba fire, 7 October 2023 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,470 ha in total · 1 day
  34. 894 ha Hurungwe fire, 21 August 2023 0.1% of the municipality · 5,092 ha in total · 5 days
  35. 1,223 ha Kariba fire, 23 June 2023 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,219 ha in total · 1 day
  36. 2,807 ha Kariba fire, 23 June 2023 where it started 0.3% of the municipality · 2,792 ha in total · 6 days
  37. 1,232 ha Kariba fire, 21 June 2023 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,228 ha in total · 1 day
  38. 1,645 ha Kariba fire, 18 October 2022 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,708 ha in total · 3 days
  39. 1,394 ha Hurungwe fire, 17 October 2022 0.2% of the municipality · 8,833 ha in total · 10 days
  40. 1,549 ha Kariba fire, 16 October 2022 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,540 ha in total · 3 days
  41. 1,793 ha Kariba fire, 13 October 2022 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,782 ha in total · 4 days
  42. 1,481 ha Kariba fire, 13 October 2022 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,473 ha in total · 3 days
  43. 1,127 ha Kariba fire, 11 October 2022 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,119 ha in total · 4 days
  44. 1,648 ha Kariba fire, 7 October 2022 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,637 ha in total · 2 days
  45. 1,682 ha Kariba fire, 28 September 2022 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,674 ha in total · 3 days
  46. 1,274 ha Kariba fire, 23 September 2022 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,264 ha in total · 3 days
  47. 23,760 ha Hurungwe fire, 18 September 2022 2.9% of the municipality · 33,783 ha in total · 10 days
  48. 1,518 ha Kariba fire, 18 September 2022 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,510 ha in total · 3 days
  49. 1,208 ha Kariba fire, 12 September 2022 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,202 ha in total · 3 days
  50. 2,064 ha Kariba fire, 9 September 2022 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 2,051 ha in total · 3 days
  51. 1,214 ha Kariba fire, 6 September 2022 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,208 ha in total · 3 days
  52. 1,034 ha Kariba fire, 3 September 2022 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,030 ha in total · 3 days
  53. 2,565 ha Kariba fire, 26 October 2021 where it started 0.3% of the municipality · 2,551 ha in total · 9 days
  54. 1,034 ha Kariba fire, 17 October 2021 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,031 ha in total · 1 day
  55. 1,868 ha Kariba fire, 14 October 2021 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,857 ha in total · 5 days
  56. 3,668 ha Kariba fire, 14 October 2021 where it started 0.4% of the municipality · 7,545 ha in total · 5 days
  57. 4,117 ha Kariba fire, 13 October 2021 where it started 0.5% of the municipality · 4,091 ha in total · 5 days
  58. 7,278 ha Kariba fire, 12 October 2021 where it started 0.9% of the municipality · 7,236 ha in total · 7 days
  59. 1,188 ha Kariba fire, 11 October 2021 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,185 ha in total · 4 days
  60. 1,278 ha Kariba fire, 20 September 2021 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,271 ha in total · 6 days
  61. 3,835 ha Kariba fire, 14 September 2021 where it started 0.5% of the municipality · 3,809 ha in total · 4 days
  62. 2,729 ha Kariba fire, 12 September 2021 where it started 0.3% of the municipality · 2,711 ha in total · 6 days
  63. 3,193 ha Kariba fire, 10 September 2021 where it started 0.4% of the municipality · 3,177 ha in total · 8 days
  64. 1,198 ha Kariba fire, 8 September 2021 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,189 ha in total · 2 days
  65. 2,310 ha Kariba fire, 27 August 2021 where it started 0.3% of the municipality · 2,302 ha in total · 4 days
  66. 2,418 ha Kariba fire, 21 August 2021 where it started 0.3% of the municipality · 2,404 ha in total · 6 days
  67. 1,885 ha Kariba fire, 4 August 2021 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,907 ha in total · 7 days
  68. 1,011 ha Hurungwe fire, July 2021 0.1% of the municipality · 3,300 ha in total · 7 days
  69. 1,550 ha Kariba fire, June 2021 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,545 ha in total · 3 days
  70. 153 ha Hurungwe fire, May 2021 0.0% of the municipality · 1,045 ha in total · 1 day
  71. 5,284 ha Kariba fire, 23 September 2020 where it started 0.6% of the municipality · 5,282 ha in total · 13 days
  72. 1,220 ha Kariba fire, 18 September 2020 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,216 ha in total · 3 days
  73. 3,564 ha Kariba fire, 18 September 2020 where it started 0.4% of the municipality · 3,542 ha in total · 5 days
  74. 11,850 ha Kariba fire, 16 September 2020 where it started 1.4% of the municipality · 11,838 ha in total · 12 days
  75. 506 ha Hurungwe fire, 14 July 2020 0.1% of the municipality · 1,263 ha in total · 2 days
  76. 1,766 ha Kariba fire, October 2019 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,760 ha in total · 3 days
  77. 1,032 ha Kariba fire, 28 September 2019 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,026 ha in total · 3 days
  78. 1,396 ha Kariba fire, 14 September 2019 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,388 ha in total · 3 days
  79. 7,778 ha Kariba fire, 20 August 2019 where it started 0.9% of the municipality · 10,382 ha in total · 6 days
  80. 10,462 ha Kariba fire, 18 August 2019 where it started 1.3% of the municipality · 11,221 ha in total · 4 days
  81. 3,106 ha Kariba fire, 14 July 2019 where it started 0.4% of the municipality · 3,089 ha in total · 7 days
  82. 1,182 ha Kariba fire, 5 July 2019 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,177 ha in total · 5 days
  83. 1,104 ha Hurungwe fire, 24 May 2019 0.1% of the municipality · 5,135 ha in total · 9 days
  84. 2 ha Hurungwe fire, 29 October 2018 0.0% of the municipality · 1,065 ha in total · 2 days
  85. 1,757 ha Kariba fire, October 2018 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,746 ha in total · 3 days
  86. 1,247 ha Kariba fire, 20 September 2018 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,239 ha in total · 2 days
  87. 1,774 ha Kariba fire, 13 September 2018 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,764 ha in total · 4 days
  88. 2,552 ha Kariba fire, 9 September 2018 where it started 0.3% of the municipality · 2,536 ha in total · 2 days
  89. 1,196 ha Kariba fire, 9 September 2018 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,190 ha in total · 2 days
  90. 1,085 ha Kariba fire, 9 September 2018 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,078 ha in total · 3 days
  91. 1,270 ha Kariba fire, 8 September 2018 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,263 ha in total · 3 days
  92. 4,999 ha Kariba fire, 18 August 2018 where it started 0.6% of the municipality · 4,982 ha in total · 5 days
  93. 5,981 ha Kariba fire, 17 August 2018 where it started 0.7% of the municipality · 5,961 ha in total · 5 days
  94. 1,262 ha Kariba fire, 14 August 2018 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,255 ha in total · 4 days
  95. 448 ha Hurungwe fire, 14 August 2018 0.0% of the municipality · 1,116 ha in total · 2 days
  96. 2,522 ha Kariba fire, 13 August 2018 where it started 0.3% of the municipality · 2,514 ha in total · 5 days
  97. 1,301 ha Kariba fire, 12 August 2018 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,295 ha in total · 2 days
  98. 1,376 ha Kariba fire, 11 August 2018 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,368 ha in total · 5 days
  99. 7,584 ha Kariba fire, 5 August 2018 where it started 0.9% of the municipality · 7,543 ha in total · 8 days
  100. 1,320 ha Kariba fire, 1 August 2018 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,314 ha in total · 3 days
  101. 1,596 ha Kariba fire, June 2018 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,591 ha in total · 4 days
  102. 107 ha Hurungwe fire, 21 October 2017 0.0% of the municipality · 1,250 ha in total · 3 days
  103. 1,309 ha Kariba fire, 16 October 2017 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,300 ha in total · 3 days
  104. 1,195 ha Kariba fire, 15 October 2017 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,187 ha in total · 4 days
  105. 2,687 ha Kariba fire, 14 September 2017 where it started 0.3% of the municipality · 2,672 ha in total · 11 days
  106. 1,025 ha Kariba fire, 12 September 2017 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,018 ha in total · 3 days
  107. 1,015 ha Kariba fire, 11 September 2017 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,009 ha in total · 5 days
  108. 2,562 ha Kariba fire, 11 September 2017 where it started 0.3% of the municipality · 2,546 ha in total · 7 days
  109. 1,087 ha Kariba fire, 2 September 2017 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,081 ha in total · 5 days
  110. 1,215 ha Kariba fire, 30 August 2017 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,209 ha in total · 2 days
  111. 480 ha Hurungwe fire, 29 August 2017 0.1% of the municipality · 1,238 ha in total · 5 days
  112. 1,792 ha Kariba fire, 29 August 2017 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,784 ha in total · 5 days
  113. 908 ha Kariba fire, 29 August 2017 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,516 ha in total · 5 days
  114. 1,334 ha Kariba fire, 25 August 2017 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,327 ha in total · 2 days
  115. 5,523 ha Kariba fire, 23 August 2017 where it started 0.7% of the municipality · 5,505 ha in total · 6 days
  116. 1,203 ha Kariba fire, 17 August 2017 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,194 ha in total · 2 days
  117. 2,555 ha Kariba fire, July 2017 where it started 0.3% of the municipality · 2,547 ha in total · 6 days
  118. 202 ha Hurungwe fire, 12 July 2017 0.0% of the municipality · 1,199 ha in total · 3 days
  119. 11,997 ha Kariba fire, October 2016 where it started 1.5% of the municipality · 11,931 ha in total · 6 days
  120. 1,333 ha Kariba fire, 25 September 2016 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,325 ha in total · 4 days
  121. 3,398 ha Kariba fire, 14 September 2016 where it started 0.4% of the municipality · 3,375 ha in total · 5 days
  122. 1,917 ha Kariba fire, 11 September 2016 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,907 ha in total · 4 days
  123. 1,151 ha Kariba fire, 9 September 2016 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,144 ha in total · 5 days
  124. 2,089 ha Kariba fire, 8 September 2016 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 2,076 ha in total · 5 days
  125. 14,013 ha Hurungwe fire, 5 September 2016 1.7% of the municipality · 22,552 ha in total · 11 days
  126. 1,203 ha Kariba fire, 4 September 2016 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,195 ha in total · 3 days
  127. 3,504 ha Kariba fire, 27 August 2016 where it started 0.4% of the municipality · 3,493 ha in total · 4 days
  128. 2,318 ha Kariba fire, 26 August 2016 where it started 0.3% of the municipality · 2,304 ha in total · 3 days
  129. 1,902 ha Kariba fire, 21 August 2016 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,891 ha in total · 3 days
  130. 676 ha Kariba fire, 5 August 2016 where it started 0.1% of the municipality · 1,263 ha in total · 1 day
  131. 1,621 ha Kariba fire, 4 August 2016 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,610 ha in total · 4 days
  132. 1,421 ha Kariba fire, 2 August 2016 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,412 ha in total · 4 days
  133. 1,321 ha Kariba fire, July 2016 where it started 0.2% of the municipality · 1,316 ha in total · 2 days
  134. 850 ha Hurungwe fire, 30 June 2016 0.1% of the municipality · 2,287 ha in total · 2 days

Where this data comes from

Perimeters come from GWIS (Copernicus, CC BY 4.0), rebuilt from heat detections, and municipal boundaries from geoBoundaries/Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT www.zimstat.co.zw) Central Statistics Office, OCHA ROSEA (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Intergovernmental Organisations (CC BY 3.0 IGO)). The area per municipality is computed by WorldFires by crossing both. The forecast is from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

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