Wildfire near Jaú do Tocantins (Sep 17), Brazil (2026)

Wildfire near Jaú do Tocantins (Sep 17) — NASA satellite

Yesterday's image: fire shows in orange and red. NASA MODIS

The story so far

About 30 km northeast of Jaú do Tocantins.

Summary written on Sep 19, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

Satellites are picking up an intense heat signature from an active wildfire burning near Jaú do Tocantins, Brazil, where eight heat detections over the past 48 hours trace the spread of the front across the landscape. Having already consumed 630 hectares (1,557 acres) since it started on September 17, the fire has maintained an average daily growth of approximately 315 hectares per day over its two days of burning.

This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which runs from August to October. Nationally, the broader context reveals that 6,038,934 hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, a figure that remains 80% below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire burned in Brazil for 2 days. In total it burned about 630 ha (1,557 acres) — around 6.3 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.