Wildfire near Kutai Timur (Oct 21), Indonesia (2026)

Wildfire near Kutai Timur (Oct 21) — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Kutai Timur (Oct 21) — 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 is currently burning in the dry season near Kutai Timur, Indonesia, having started on October 21, 2026. Satellites are picking up a moderate heat signature from the front, while 19 heat detections cluster nearby over the past 48 hours to indicate the spread of the fire. Based on the number of these satellite hotspots, the size of the blaze is roughly estimated at 400 hectares, or 988 acres.

This incident unfolds during a severe year for fires across the country. So far in 2026, a total of 8,082,546 hectares have burned nationwide, a staggering figure that sits 126% above the two-decade average for the country.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Indonesia for 1 day. So far it has affected roughly 400 ha (988 acres) — about 4.0 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.