Wildfire near Formoso do Araguaia (Aug 5), Brazil (2026)

Wildfire near Formoso do Araguaia (Aug 5) — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Formoso do Araguaia (Aug 5) — 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 7, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

An intense heat signature detected by satellites marks the progression of an active wildfire near Formoso do Araguaia, Brazil. Burning for two days since its start on August 5, 2026, the fire has consumed 700 hectares, equivalent to approximately 1,730 acres, maintaining an average daily growth of about 350 hectares per day.

Surrounding the active front, 40 satellite heat detections within the last 48 hours highlight the wider spatial spread of the event. This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which spans from August to October.

Across the country, a broader context reveals that 2,223,455 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 93% below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire burned in Brazil for 2 days. In total it burned about 330 ha (815 acres) — around 3.3 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.