Wildfire near Berau (Sep 21), Indonesia (2026)

Wildfire near Berau (Sep 21) — NASA satellite

Yesterday's image: fire shows in orange and red. NASA MODIS

The story so far

Summary written on Sep 20, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

Burning actively near Berau, Indonesia, an intense wildfire is currently producing powerful heat signatures detected by satellites, with 38 distinct thermal anomalies registered over the past 48 hours. The active blaze has consumed 450 hectares, equivalent to 1,112 acres, since it first started on September 19, 2026.

This ongoing fire develops within the regional typical fire season, which is characterized locally as the dry season. The current incident unfolds against a broader national backdrop where 4,497,134 hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, tracking 26% above the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire burned in Indonesia for 2 days. In total it burned about 230 ha (568 acres) — around 2.3 km². That size is an estimate from satellite hotspots, not a measured area.

Close to the tropics, fires tend to follow the dry season and are often linked to land-clearing rather than a single summer peak.