Wildfire near Rabaul District, Papua New Guinea (2026)

Wildfire near Rabaul District — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Rabaul District — 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

An active wildfire burning in Rabaul District, Papua New Guinea, has prompted satellite monitoring since it started on October 27, 2026. Orbiting sensors are currently picking up a moderate heat signature from the front, alongside 19 heat detections clustering nearby over the past 48 hours to map its current spread.

The blaze is estimated at roughly 150 hectares, or 371 acres, derived from satellite hotspot analysis. Activity in the area unfolds against the backdrop of the local dry season.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Papua New Guinea for 1 day. So far it has affected roughly 150 ha (371 acres) — about 1.5 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.