Wildfires worldwide · Country
Kenya: wildfires seen from space, 2000-2026
From November 2000 to 15 October 2026, NASA's MODIS satellites detected 84,458 vegetation fires in this country.
- Fires detected since 2000
- 84,458
- World rank
- #71 of 223
- Share of the world
- 0.08%
- Record year
- 2012
- 20-year change (Aqua)
- −38%
Fires detected per year
Terra from November 2000, Aqua from July 2002. 2026 runs to 15 October.
Year by year data
| Year | Detections |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 1,228 |
| 2002 | 2,328 |
| 2003 | 5,610 |
| 2004 | 3,594 |
| 2005 | 4,731 |
| 2006 | 2,425 |
| 2007 | 5,032 |
| 2008 | 4,432 |
| 2009 | 3,353 |
| 2010 | 2,469 |
| 2011 | 2,793 |
| 2012 | 6,193 |
| 2013 | 3,428 |
| 2014 | 2,581 |
| 2015 | 3,880 |
| 2016 | 2,661 |
| 2017 | 1,872 |
| 2018 | 1,720 |
| 2019 | 3,222 |
| 2020 | 3,612 |
| 2021 | 3,727 |
| 2022 | 1,590 |
| 2023 | 2,296 |
| 2024 | 3,088 |
| 2025 | 4,320 |
| 2026 | 2,236 |
Fire season: average detections per month, 2003-2025
In short
2012 is the year with the most detections (6,193); the record month is February 2012, with 1,658.
The fire season is concentrated between January and March: these three months hold 51% of an average year's detections.
Against 2003-2012, yearly detections in 2016-2025 fell by 38% (Aqua satellite).
The average radiative power of a detection (Aqua satellite) went from 44.8 MW in 2003-2012 to 45.7 MW in 2016-2025.
In 2026 (to 15 October): 2,236 detections.
Method and sourcesFrequently asked questions
Kenya: frequently asked questions
Kenya: how many wildfires are there each year?
On average 3,419 vegetation fires detected a year by the MODIS satellites in 2003-2025, with a high of 6,193 in 2012.
Kenya: are wildfires increasing?
Against 2003-2012, yearly detections in 2016-2025 fell by 38% (Aqua satellite).
Kenya: when is the fire season?
The fire season is concentrated between January and March: these three months hold 51% of an average year's detections.
Kenya: what was the worst year for wildfires?
2012, with 6,193 detections. The record month was February 2012, with 1,658.
Other countries
The wildfire risk of your site
This map tells the story of the world. XN FireSight brings wildfire risk analysis to a single site, with a real report to browse page by page.
Discover XN FireSight