Smelling smoke outside: how to check if there is a fire near you

Where can that smoke smell come from?

Four causes cover the vast majority of cases. A nearby vegetation fire, first: the most urgent to rule out, especially in summer with sustained wind. A distant fire next: smoke from a large wildfire travels with the wind over tens, sometimes hundreds of kilometres. The plumes of Canada's 2023 fires crossed the Atlantic to Europe. Then agricultural or garden-waste burns (often in the morning), and one-off urban fires: a building, a vehicle, bins.

At night and in early morning, one phenomenon amplifies everything: temperature inversion traps smoke near the ground instead of letting it rise. A strong smell at dawn does not necessarily mean the fire got closer, but it always deserves a check.

Check in two minutes whether a fire is burning around you

Open the kanari map (free, no account) and centre it on your position: satellite-detected ignitions (refreshed every 10 minutes over Europe and the Americas) and verified citizen reports appear continuously.

Then look at the wind direction, shown on the map: a smoke smell ALWAYS arrives from the direction the wind blows from. If the wind comes from the southwest, the source is to the southwest. Search for fires in that direction, including far away: a powerful fire 100 km upwind smells distinctly.

Cross-check with other signals: sirens, aircraft or helicopter rotations (the map tracks water bombers live), posts from local authorities or fire services, and your region's air quality index, which climbs when a plume passes.

When to call emergency services

Call 112 (Europe), 911 (North America) or 000 (Australia) without hesitation if you see flames or a smoke column rising from a precise point, if the smell comes with ash fallout, or if the smoke becomes dense enough to hinder breathing. Better one call too many than a fire getting a head start: firefighters prefer ten redundant reports to one missing report.

Smell alone, with no visible source and no nearby fire on the map? It is most likely smoke carried from far away or a controlled burn. No need to call emergency services, but close windows and vents if the smell is strong, especially for vulnerable people (asthma, respiratory conditions, infants).

Follow the situation without thinking about it

On the kanari map, tap “Alert me on this area”: you will receive a notification if a new significant fire is detected around you. Free, no account, works on phone and desktop. The simplest way to sleep soundly on evenings when “it smells like smoke”.

Frequently asked questions

Also worth reading

What to do during a wildfire: the reflexes that save livesHow does a Canadair water bomber work?How do satellites detect wildfires?Fire weather: understanding wildfire risk