Wildfire near Falvaterra, Italy (2026)

Wildfire near Falvaterra — Sentinel-2 true color

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

Satellites are picking up an intense heat signature at the active wildfire burning near Falvaterra, Italy, which has already consumed 130 hectares (321 acres) since it started on August 15, 2026. Orbiting instruments have detected five heat signatures clustering nearby over the past 48 hours, illustrating the current spread of the fire front across the landscape.

This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October. The blaze adds to a broader national crisis, with 82,579 hectares burned across the country so far in 2026—marking a total that is 44% above the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire burned in Italy for 2 days. In total it burned about 130 ha (321 acres) — around 1.3 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.