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
Summary written on Nov 3, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.
An active wildfire is currently burning near Atherton, Australia, with response efforts led by the QFD after the fire started on November 2, 2026. Satellites have picked up a heat detection near the incident over the past 48 hours, tracking the ongoing spread in a region where the typical fire season runs from December to March.
This incident unfolds within a broader national context where 19,109,666 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 45% below the two-decade average for the country.
In context
This wildfire burned in Australia for 1 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 19,109,666 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 45% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.
Alerts near Atherton
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