British Columbia Satellite Hotspots
Inspect recent satellite thermal detections across British Columbia without mixing them into the province's official wildfire count. The focused map starts over B.C. with NASA FIRMS hotspots enabled and confirmed wildfire incidents left separate.
What a hotspot can tell you
A visible point represents a recent satellite-detected heat signal included in FireRadar’s NASA FIRMS feed. Several points close together can relate to one fire, multiple fires, repeated satellite observations, or another heat source. Hotspots can add independent observation context around a known incident, especially in remote areas.
What it cannot tell you
A hotspot is not an official incident record, fire perimeter, control status, evacuation area, or proof that a wildfire is out of control. Cloud, heavy smoke, orbit timing, surface conditions, and source filtering can also hide or duplicate detections. Use the official wildfire layer when you need a named incident and source status.
Why local geography matters
British Columbia's mountains, coast, Interior plateaus, northern forests, clouds, smoke, snow, industrial heat sources, and repeated satellite overpasses can all affect how hotspot patterns appear. A cluster can support situational awareness around a known incident, but BC Wildfire Service remains the source for confirmed wildfire names, status, size, control information, and emergency direction.
Do not count hotspots as wildfires
FireRadar deliberately keeps NASA FIRMS detections outside direct-official wildfire totals. A map with many thermal points can represent fewer confirmed incidents, repeated observations, or non-wildfire heat. A map with no visible hotspot is also not proof that no wildfire is present.
Satellite source
FireRadar uses NASA FIRMS VIIRS thermal-detection data for this observation layer. Official British Columbia incident records stay in FireRadar’s wildfire layer and retain their own source provenance.
Open NASA FIRMS →