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Wildfire near Merauke (Oct 15 · NE)

Active · 380 hectares (939 acres) · Started · Updated

This fire in numbersDay 2
380Hectares939Acres2Days burning

Started on Oct 15, 2026.

Wildfire near Merauke (Oct 15 · NE) — Sentinel-2 true color Wildfire near Merauke (Oct 15 · NE) — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego) True view Fire view
⟷
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

Red dots: heat detected by satellite in the last 48h. NASA FIRMS

Satellites are picking up an intense heat signature from an active wildfire burning near Merauke, Indonesia, where 34 heat detections have been recorded over the last 48 hours, signaling significant spread across the area. The fire, which started on September 30, 2026, has grown to encompass 580 hectares, equivalent to 1,433 acres.

This incident unfolds during the typical fire season, characterized by the dry season conditions that heighten regional vulnerability. The wider landscape reflects a severe year for fire activity across the country, with 5,611,214 hectares burned so far in 2026—a figure that stands 57% 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.

Close to the tropics, fires tend to follow the dry season and are often linked to land-clearing rather than a single summer peak.

The bigger picture in Indonesia

Across Indonesia, roughly 7,440,160 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 108% above the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.

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