Wildfires in North Carolina
North Carolina is a state of the United States — southern pine forest, palmetto flatwoods, hardwood bottomland and coastal marsh. This live map tracks every wildfire and satellite hotspot detected across North Carolina, updated continuously from NASA satellite data and official national fire sources. Wildfires here can occur year-round in this fire-adapted landscape, peaking from late winter into spring; this is also the region where prescribed burning is most widely used. Its capital is Charlotte. Other main centres include Raleigh, Greensboro and Durham.
Current fires in North Carolina
Main towns
Charlotte Raleigh Greensboro Durham
Neighbouring regions
Florida Georgia South Carolina Virginia West Virginia Alabama Kentucky Mississippi Tennessee Arkansas Louisiana
Counties
Alamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Wildfire season in North Carolina
Wildfires across North Carolina can occur year-round in this fire-adapted landscape, peaking from late winter into spring; this is also the region where prescribed burning is most widely used. Higher temperatures, low humidity and wind make fires start and spread faster — check the fire-danger level before lighting any fire or working outdoors.
What the North Carolina fire map shows
Every fire on this page is an automatic heat detection from NASA satellites (VIIRS and MODIS), grouped into fire events and updated continuously; where official national sources publish data, it is shown alongside. North Carolina groups 100 counties; open any of them for its local map. Satellite detections are not verified on the ground — never use them for safety decisions, and always follow the emergency services (call 911).
Frequently asked questions
When is the wildfire season in North Carolina?
Which places in North Carolina does the map cover?
Where does the North Carolina wildfire data come from?
Is the North Carolina fire map official?
⚠️ The fires shown are automatic satellite heat detections from NASA FIRMS, augmented with official NIFC / WFIGS incidents where available. Satellite detections are not verified on the ground and are not 100% accurate — they can include false alarms (industrial heat, prescribed burns) or miss small or cloud-covered fires. Do not use this map for safety decisions; always follow official sources.