Wildfire near Centro Novo do Maranhão, Brazil (2026)

Wildfire near Centro Novo do Maranhão — NASA satellite

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

The story so far

About 15 km northwest of Centro Novo do Maranhão.

Summary written on Oct 22, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

A moderate heat signature picked up by satellites marks the ongoing activity of a wildfire burning near Centro Novo do Maranhão, Brazil. Having started on October 21, 2026, the active blaze is roughly estimated by satellite hotspot analysis to cover 350 hectares, or 865 acres. Satellites have detected 19 thermal anomalies over the past 48 hours, illustrating how far the fire has spread across the landscape.

This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which runs from August to October. Across the broader national landscape, a total of 10,592,460 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 66% below the two-decade average for the country.

In context

This wildfire burned in Brazil for 2 days. In total it burned about 350 ha (865 acres) — around 3.5 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.