Wildfires worldwide · Country

Sri Lanka: wildfires seen from space, 2000-2026

From November 2000 to 15 October 2026, NASA's MODIS satellites detected 28,980 vegetation fires in this country.

Fires detected per year

Terra from November 2000, Aqua from July 2002. 2026 runs to 15 October.

Year by year data

2004 is the year with the most detections (1,901); the record month is August 2004, with 846.

The fire season is concentrated between July and September: these three months hold 66% of an average year's detections.

Against 2003-2012, yearly detections in 2016-2025 fell by 51% (Aqua satellite).

The average radiative power of a detection (Aqua satellite) went from 27.8 MW in 2003-2012 to 20.4 MW in 2016-2025.

In 2026 (to 15 October): 700 detections.

Frequently asked questions

On average 1,147 vegetation fires detected a year by the MODIS satellites in 2003-2025, with a high of 1,901 in 2004.

Against 2003-2012, yearly detections in 2016-2025 fell by 51% (Aqua satellite).

The fire season is concentrated between July and September: these three months hold 66% of an average year's detections.

2004, with 1,901 detections. The record month was August 2004, with 846.

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