Wildfire near Bulqizë, Albania (2026)

Wildfire near Bulqizë — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Bulqizë — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego)

True view Fire view

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True view (left): as the eye sees it.
Fire view (right): infrared (SWIR), sees through smoke and brings out the heat.

🟢 green = vegetation
🟤 brown = already burned
🟠 orange = fire right now

Drag to compare: normal photo on the left, heat brought out on the right.

Green: vegetationBrown: already burnedOrange: fire right nowSentinel-2 · Copernicus

The story so far

About 5 km northwest of Bulqizë.

Summary written on Sep 11, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

Satellites are picking up an intense heat signature over an active wildfire burning near Bulqizë, Albania, where six heat detections have registered over the past 48 hours. The blaze, which started on September 10, 2026, has expanded to encompass 100 hectares, equivalent to 247 acres.

This incident unfolds against the backdrop of the country's typical fire season, which traditionally spans the warm, dry months from roughly May to October.

In context

This wildfire burned in Albania for 2 days. In total it burned about 180 ha (445 acres) — around 1.8 km². That size is an estimate from satellite hotspots, not a measured area.

In the Northern Hemisphere, wildfire activity usually peaks during the warm, dry months — roughly May through October.