Wildfire near Póvoa de Lanhoso, Portugal (2026)

Wildfire near Póvoa de Lanhoso — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Póvoa de Lanhoso — 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

Key facts

Source: NASA FIRMS

Official statusConcludedOver.

JurisdictionANEPC

The story so far

About 5 km east of Póvoa de Lanhoso.

Summary written on Aug 17, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

Burning near the municipality of Póvoa de Lanhoso, Portugal, an active wildfire is currently producing an intense heat signature as detected by satellites, with nine thermal anomalies recorded over the past 48 hours indicating how far the fire has spread.

The blaze has scorched 150 hectares, equivalent to 371 acres, since it started on August 16, 2026. A response force of 18 personnel deployed by the ANEPC is currently tackling the active incident.

This event unfolds within the context of Portugal's typical fire season, which runs from June to October. Across the country, 57,663 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that sits 45 percent below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire burned in Portugal for 2 days. In total it burned about 150 ha (371 acres) — around 1.5 km². That size is an estimate from satellite hotspots, not a measured area.

In the Northern Hemisphere, wildfire activity usually peaks during the warm, dry months — roughly May through October.