← Back

Wildfire near Gunbalanya

Active · 500 hectares (1,236 acres) · Started · Updated

This fire in numbersDay 2
500Hectares1,236Acres2Days burning

Started on Oct 11, 2026.

Australia todayLive
4Active2,288Hotspots 48h1,180Hectares
Last 7 days · risingHow many named wildfires were burning on each of the last 7 days. It rises when there are more than on the earlier days.
All Australia wildfires
Wildfire near Gunbalanya — Sentinel-2 true color Wildfire near Gunbalanya — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego) True view Fire view
⟷
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

Red dots: heat detected by satellite in the last 48h. NASA FIRMS

An intense heat signature is currently being picked up by satellites over an active wildfire burning near Gunbalanya, Australia. Having started on October 11, 2026, the fire has grown to encompass 500 hectares, which translates to 1,236 acres.

With 24 heat detections clustered nearby over the last 48 hours, monitoring systems indicate ongoing spread in the area. This event occurs within a broader national landscape where 16,868,707 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 51 percent below the two-decade average for the country, where the typical fire season runs from December to March.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Australia for 1 day. So far it has affected roughly 500 ha (1,236 acres) — about 5.0 km².

Close to the tropics, fires tend to follow the dry season and are often linked to land-clearing rather than a single summer peak.

The bigger picture in Australia

Across Australia, roughly 16,868,707 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 51% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.

Follow this fire

We'll email you if it grows, if it gets more contained, or if it goes out.

At most one alert every 6 hours, and only when something changes.

No account. One-click unsubscribe. · Privacy

Get wildfire alerts near here An email when satellites detect new fire in this area. Free, no account. →

Community reports

Reports from people near the fire · unverified

＋ Add info/photo
No reports yet. Nearby? Be the first to report.

Be the first to report what is happening →

Not official emergency information. In an emergency, contact fire services/authorities.

More fires in Australia

See all wildfires in Australia →
← Live wildfire map