← Back

Wildfire near Merauke

Active · 550 hectares (1,359 acres) · Started · Updated

This fire in numbersDay 2
550Hectares1,359Acres2Days burning

Started on Sep 18, 2026.

Wildfire near Merauke — NASA satellite

Yesterday's image: fire shows in orange and red. NASA MODIS

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

Satellites are picking up an intense heat signature from the active wildfire burning near Merauke, Indonesia, with 18 heat detections clustered nearby over the past 48 hours. The blaze, which covers 400 hectares or 988 acres, started on September 18, 2026.

This fire is part of a broader national trend during the dry season, adding to the 4,223,827 hectares that have burned across the country so far in 2026. This total places the current year's burned area 18% above the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Indonesia for 1 day. So far it has affected roughly 550 ha (1,359 acres) — about 5.5 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 4,223,827 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 18% above the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.

Follow this fire

We'll email you if it grows, if it gets more contained, or if it goes out.

At most one alert every 6 hours, and only when something changes.

Get wildfire alerts near here An email when satellites detect new fire in this area. Free, no account.

Community reports

Reports from people near the fire · unverified

No reports yet. Nearby? Be the first to report.

Be the first to report what is happening →

Not official emergency information. In an emergency, contact fire services/authorities.

More fires in Indonesia

See all wildfires in Indonesia →
← Live wildfire map