Wildfire near Kutai Timur (Oct 2), Indonesia (2026)

Part of a series of fires in the same area. The main one: Wildfire near Kutai Timur (Oct 4)

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

Wildfire near Kutai Timur (Oct 2) — 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 intense heat signature marked the final stages of a wildfire that burned near Kutai Timur, Indonesia, in the dry season. Satellites tracked the blaze over a span of forty-two days after it started on October 2, 2026. By satellite estimate, the fire ultimately affected about 350 hectares, equivalent to roughly 865 acres, before coming to an end.

This incident occurred during a broader national fire season that has seen extensive burning across Indonesia. So far in 2026, a total of 8,814,239 hectares have burned nationwide, a figure that stands 147 percent above the country's two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire burned in Indonesia for 2 days. In total it burned about 350 ha (865 acres) — around 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.