Wildfire near Chapada Gaúcha, Brazil (2026)

Wildfire near Chapada Gaúcha — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Chapada Gaúcha — 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 50 km north of Chapada Gaúcha.

Summary written on Sep 7, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

Burning near the municipality of Chapada Gaúcha in Brazil, an active wildfire has consumed 400 hectares, equivalent to 988 acres, since it started on September 7, 2026. Satellites are currently picking up a moderate heat signature from the burning front, while 16 thermal detections have been recorded over the past 48 hours, indicating the extent of the active fire zone.

This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which spans from August to October. Despite this local seasonal activity, the broader national landscape shows a starkly different trend: across the country, 5,025,251 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking an overall figure that is 84% below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire burned in Brazil for 2 days. In total it burned about 400 ha (988 acres) — around 4.0 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.