Google has attributed inaccuracies in satellite images of Australia's bushfires to a technical glitch, after misleading maps went viral on social media. The tech giant said the error affected its Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), which provides near-real-time fire data.
The viral images, including one shared by singer Rihanna, depicted large sections of the Australian coastline in red, suggesting widespread active fires. However, the image was actually a visualization of one month of fire detection data, with the glow exaggerating the scale. The creator, artist Anthony Hearsey, acknowledged the exaggeration but said it was generally true to the NASA data.
Another widely shared map from the Australian government's MyFireWatch website showed flame icons across the country, but the site warns that the data includes any heat source hotter than its surroundings, such as gas flares or industrial roofs, and does not guarantee actual fires. The symbols also do not represent the size or danger of fires.
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service publishes its own live maps with alert levels, and on 7 January, many hotspots in NSW were classified as 'advice' alerts, indicating no immediate danger. Twitter users also pointed out inaccuracies in maps overlaying Australia on other continents, due to distortions in flat map projections.
BBC News has produced a visual guide using data from NSW and Victoria fire services, updated every one to two days. NASA told the BBC that non-fire heat sources account for less than 1% of its data.
