Yesterday's image: fire shows in orange and red. NASA MODIS
Red dots: heat detected by satellite in the last 48h. NASA FIRMS
Key facts
Source: Queensland Fire DepartmentThe story so far
A wildfire that broke out near Airlie Beach, Australia, on October 29, 2026, has officially ended, according to operations overseen by the Queensland Fire Department (QFD). The incident unfolded within a region where the typical fire season generally runs from December to March. While this local emergency has concluded, it forms part of a broader national landscape that has seen a significant accumulation of fire activity.
Across the country, a total of 18,817,633 hectares have burned so far in 2026. This cumulative figure places the current year's burned area 46% below the two-decade average for Australia, reflecting a notably different trajectory compared to historical norms even as seasonal blazes like the one near Airlie Beach are managed and brought to a close.
In context
This wildfire burned in Australia for less than a day.
Close to the tropics, fires tend to follow the dry season and are often linked to land-clearing rather than a single summer peak.
The bigger picture in Australia
Across Australia, roughly 18,817,633 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 46% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.
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