About the map
What the dots and colours mean, and what the map can and cannot tell you.
The map shows heat that satellites have detected from space, sorted by what is probably burning. Here we explain how to read it, and where the limits of what it can tell you lie.
What does the map show?
The map shows places where satellites have detected clearly more heat than in the surroundings over the last 24 hours, 48 hours or 7 days. Each dot is called a hotspot.
By default the map shows possible forest fires. Under “Show fire types” you can also turn on heath and grass, wetland, farmland, buildings, industry and volcanoes. You can also show the forest fire danger for today and the next two days.
Is a dot on the map a confirmed fire?
No. A dot is a measurement of heat, not a confirmed fire. The heat may come from a forest fire, but also from straw burning, bonfires, industry or other hot surfaces.
That is why we write “possible forest fire”. If you see smoke or flames in Norway, call 110.
How up to date is the map?
Measurements usually arrive a few hours after the satellite has passed, and the map updates several times an hour. So it is not real time to the second or minute.
The satellites pass over the same place only a few times a day. A fire that starts and is put out between two passes may therefore be missing altogether.
Why can't I see a fire I know about?
The fire may have been small or short-lived, clouds may have hidden it, or it may have burned between two satellite passes. Fires smouldering in the ground often give off too little heat to be seen.
It may also be listed under another type. If it is burning near houses, on a farm, on fields or in heather, turn on the other types under “Show fire types”.
What do the colours and sizes of the dots mean?
Colour and size show how intense the heat is, measured as radiated power in megawatts (MW). The scale has five steps: weak (under 5 MW), moderate (5–20), strong (20–100), very strong (100–500) and extreme (over 500).
The power says something about how fiercely it is burning, not directly how large an area is burning. A paler dot means the measurement is less certain.
Filled dots are possible forest fires. Rings in the same colours are other kinds of vegetation, and grey rings are industry, offshore and volcanoes.
What does “NEW” in the list mean?
That the heat was detected within the last three hours.
How do I see if there is a fire in another municipality or country?
The map shows all known satellite detections of heat across the Nordic countries. Choose 24 hours, 48 hours or 7 days at the top. Click a municipality to open its page, with today's danger, the latest detections and the open-fire ban.
To see other countries, choose “World” on the map.
Can I trust what the map shows?
Skogbranner.no is not a warning system and does not replace warnings, announcements and advice from the emergency services, the health services, the municipality, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute or other public authorities. Always follow their information. In case of fire in Norway, call 110. If you need medical help, for example after breathing in smoke, call 113. The information here is collected and processed automatically and may be delayed, incomplete or wrong. A mark on the map is not a confirmed fire, and no mark does not mean that nothing is burning. Myrull Media AS accepts no liability for errors in what is shown, or for loss, damage or decisions based on information from the website.