Wildfire near Merauke (Nov 2), Indonesia (2026)

Part of a series of fires in the same area. The main one: Wildfire near Merauke (Oct 11 · NE)

Wildfire near Merauke (Nov 2) — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Merauke (Nov 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

About 10 km north of Merauke.

Summary written on Nov 3, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

A low-intensity wildfire is currently active near Merauke, Indonesia, having started on November 2, 2026. Satellites are picking up a low heat signature from the scene, accompanied by 21 heat detections over the past 48 hours that indicate the extent of the spread.

Based on the number of satellite hotspots, the fire covers an estimated size of roughly 180 hectares, or 445 acres. Burning during the dry season, this incident unfolds against a broader national backdrop where 8,659,723 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a total that is 143% above the two-decade average for the country.

In context

This wildfire burned in Indonesia for 2 days. In total it burned about 180 ha (445 acres) — around 1.8 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.