Wildfire near Captieux (Aug 9), France (2026)

Wildfire near Captieux (Aug 9) — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Captieux (Aug 9) — 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 10 km southwest of Captieux.

Summary written on Aug 9, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

Burning near Captieux, France, an active wildfire has scorched 100 hectares, equivalent to 247 acres, since it started on August 9, 2026. Operating within the region's typical fire season that spans from June to September, satellites are currently picking up a moderate heat signature from the active front, while four distinct heat detections over the past 48 hours trace the localized spread of the fire.

This incident unfolds against a wider national backdrop of severe seasonal activity, with 93,020 hectares having burned across the country so far in 2026, marking a staggering 530 percent increase above the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire burned in France for 2 days. In total it burned about 100 ha (247 acres) — around 1.0 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.