The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has prepared a map that shows how far smoke spread in the aftermath of the Navotas landfill fire which broke out on the evening of April 10, 2026.
The time-lapse map, created from satellite images, shows hourly snapshots from 7:45 in the morning until 3:45 in the afternoon on the following day, April 11.
PhilSA ad interim director general Dr. Gay Jane Perez explained that the darker colors in the map indicate higher levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), a proxy for smoke extent, which can be measured during daytime using satellite data.
On Saturday morning, high nitrogen dioxide was observed over Navotas City, with elevated levels extending as far as Bataan due to predominantly westward wind from Navotas. By the afternoon of the same day, however, NO₂ concentrations had decreased but remained relatively high across Metro Manila.
“Observations are consistent with reports and measurements on the ground that the air quality impacts of the landfill fire extended beyond the immediate vicinity,” PhilSA noted.
“This demonstrates how satellite data allows for the monitoring of air quality, as well as other impacts on the environment,” the agency added.