Wildfire near Merauke (Oct 11 · W), Indonesia (2026)

Wildfire near Merauke (Oct 11 · W) — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Merauke (Oct 11 · W) — 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

Burning near Merauke, Indonesia, during the dry season, a wildfire tracked across an estimated 180 hectares (445 acres) over nine days after starting on October 20, 2026. The incident has now ended, with satellites picking up a low heat signature alongside 30 heat detections over the final 48 hours reflecting the extent of the spread.

This event occurred against a broader national backdrop in 2026, during which 8,495,598 hectares have burned across the country, marking a total that stands 138% above the two-decade average.

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.