Wildfire near Mato Verde (Sep 15), Brazil (2026)

Wildfire near Mato Verde (Sep 15) — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Mato Verde (Sep 15) — 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

About 15 km northeast of Mato Verde.

Summary written on Sep 16, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

Satellites are picking up an intense heat signature at the active wildfire burning near Mato Verde, Brazil, which has grown to 350 hectares (865 acres) since it started on September 15, 2026. Orbiting sensors have detected 14 heat signatures nearby over the past 48 hours, highlighting the extent of the spread.

This incident occurs during the region's typical fire season, which runs from August to October. Despite this local activity, the wider national picture shows a different trend, with 5,624,790 hectares burned across the country so far in 2026, marking an 82% decrease compared to the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire burned in Brazil 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.