Wildfire near Samokov (Sep 12), North Macedonia (2026)

Wildfire near Samokov (Sep 12) — Sentinel-2 true color

Wildfire near Samokov (Sep 12) — 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

About 15 km east of Samokov.

Summary written on Sep 13, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

Burning near the city of Samokov in North Macedonia, an active wildfire has consumed 350 hectares, equivalent to 865 acres, since it started on September 12, 2026. Satellites are picking up a low heat signature from the front, while 14 heat detections registered over the past 48 hours show how far the fire has spread locally.

This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which spans the warm and dry months roughly from May to October.

In context

This wildfire burned in North Macedonia for 2 days. In total it burned about 350 ha (865 acres) — around 3.5 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.