Wildfire near Castellaneta, Italy (2026)

Wildfire near Castellaneta — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Castellaneta — 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

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

An active wildfire spanning 100 hectares, or 247 acres, is currently burning near Castellaneta, Italy, after starting on August 8, 2026. Orbiting satellites are picking up a moderate heat signature from the active front, while four distinct thermal detections registered over the past 48 hours indicate the spread of the blaze across the affected landscape.

This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October. The current fire adds to a broader national toll, with 75,844 hectares burned across the country so far in 2026—a figure tracking 33% above the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire burned in Italy 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.