Wildfire near Kutai Timur (Oct 26), Indonesia (2026)

Wildfire near Kutai Timur (Oct 26) — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Kutai Timur (Oct 26) — 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

Satellites are picking up a moderate heat signature from an active wildfire burning near Kutai Timur, Indonesia, where 16 heat detections over the past 48 hours point to ongoing local spread. First detected on October 26, 2026, the fire has reached an estimated size of 380 hectares, or roughly 939 acres, based on hotspot counts.

The blaze is currently burning during the dry season, a period typically prone to such incidents. Across the country, the broader fire landscape remains severe, with 8,450,161 hectares burned so far in 2026, marking a figure 137% above the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Indonesia for 1 day. So far it has affected roughly 380 ha (939 acres) — about 3.8 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.