Wildfire near Urubichá (Oct 21), Bolivia (2026)

Wildfire near Urubichá (Oct 21) — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Urubichá (Oct 21) — 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

Satellites are picking up an intense heat signature from an active wildfire burning near Municipio Urubichá, Bolivia, where 32 separate heat detections have clustered nearby over the past 48 hours to mark the extent of the spread. Having burned for 2 days since it started on October 20, 2026, the fire has reached an estimated size of roughly 800 hectares, or 1,977 acres, derived entirely from satellite hotspot counts rather than official ground measurements.

This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, characterized by the dry season conditions that favor rapid ignition and expansion. The current blaze contributes to a broader national toll, as Bolivia has seen 1,382,012 hectares burned so far in 2026, a figure that remains 78% below the country's two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Bolivia for 1 day. So far it has affected roughly 780 ha (1,927 acres) — about 7.8 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.