Wildfire near Chantada, Spain (2026)

Wildfire near Chantada — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Chantada — 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 Sep 16, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

Burning near Chantada, Spain, an active wildfire has scorched 100 hectares, equivalent to 247 acres, since it started on September 16, 2026. Orbiting satellites are currently picking up a moderate heat signature from the active front, alongside four separate thermal detections registered over the past 48 hours that trace the footprint of the spread. This incident unfolds within a broader regional context where the typical fire season runs from June to October, marking a period of heightened environmental vulnerability.

The wider crisis across the country intensifies the impact of this local emergency, with official figures showing that 296,691 hectares have burned so far in 2026. This extensive seasonal toll stands at 211% above the country's two-decade average, underscoring the severe cumulative pressure faced by emergency responders as suppression efforts continue on the ground in Spain.

In context

This wildfire burned in Spain 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.