Wildfire near Halmahera Selatan, Indonesia (2026)

Wildfire near Halmahera Selatan — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Halmahera Selatan — 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

An active wildfire continues to burn near Halmahera Selatan, Indonesia, having started on November 10, 2026. Satellites are currently picking up a moderate heat signature from the active front, alongside 16 heat detections clustered nearby over the past 48 hours that indicate the extent of the spread. Based on the number of satellite hotspots, the fire is roughly an estimated 350 hectares, or 865 acres, in size.

This ongoing incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, the dry season. It also contributes to a broader national trend in Indonesia, where 8,807,585 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 147% above the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Indonesia for less than a day. So far it has affected roughly 350 ha (865 acres) — about 3.5 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.