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Wildfires in Malaysia

370 fires over 500 hectares with a perimeter estimated by GWIS since 2016, adding up to 337,952 hectares burned across 66 districts.

Only fires of 500 ha or more get an entry: smaller ones are not in the lists or the entry totals, but they are in the GWIS yearly series.

What is burning in Malaysia today › Emergency number and official warnings ›

Key facts

Figures computed on 24 October 2026 from the WorldFires database; each sentence names its source. Reusable under CC BY 4.0 with credit to WorldFires.

How the season is going · week 42

Copernicus GWIS · provisional
39 % against the 2012–2025 average

Malaysia is running below the usual for this point in the year, at 39 % of the average: 60,160 hectares burned up to week 42, against an average of 154,827 in 2012–2025 (Copernicus GWIS).

2026
60,160 ha
average
154,827 ha
minimum
22,008 ha
maximum
443,473 ha

GWIS estimates for the current year are provisional and may change.

The season, week by week

Copernicus GWIS
0 226k 453k Jan Apr Jul Oct Dec
2026 average 2012–2025 lowest and highest

The GWIS yearly series

2012–2026
Yearly average 2016–2025100,847 ha
Worst year2016 316,499 ha
With a page here370 since 2016
121314151617181920212223242526
›See the year-by-year table
Year Fires hectares Source
2026227 60,160 GWIS
2025131 37,702 GWIS
2024363 106,889 GWIS
2023173 41,233 GWIS
2022106 23,666 GWIS
2021181 46,715 GWIS
2020264 68,432 GWIS
2019690 197,552 GWIS
2018460 125,435 GWIS
2017178 44,343 GWIS
2016995 316,499 GWIS
2015977 287,834 GWIS
20141,415 452,615 GWIS
2013751 216,950 GWIS
2012848 263,111 GWIS

National estimates from Copernicus GWIS, rebuilt from heat detections since 2012.

Fire calendar

The peak usually comes in week 13 (around 29 March): that is the median of the week with the most burned area in each year since 2016.

Each cell is one week; the colour shows the area of the fires on record that started that week, in quartiles for this country. Tap a cell for details.

Hectares per week: no fires < 619619–1,2921,292–2,660≥ 2,660

When it burned: year by year, month by month

Hectares with a perimeter estimated by GWIS by the fire’s starting month, and the largest fire of each year.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecΣLargest of the year
2026
3k
535
9k
14k
2k
573
10k
616
615
 40,916 Sebauh 2,697 ha
2025
2k
2k
5k
 9,405 Mukah 1,531 ha
2024
2k
15k
8k
10k
700
3k
2k
585
 41,270 Pekan 4,458 ha
2023
619
564
500
1k
 3,010 Telang Usan 1,327 ha
2022
508
606
1k
 2,185 Pekan 1,071 ha
2021
3k
4k
4k
 10,662 Pekan 1,380 ha
2020
1k
3k
6k
5k
1k
 17,047 Miri 1,417 ha
2019
5k
25k
9k
8k
512
4k
9k
3k
 62,513 Pekan 2,728 ha
2018
4k
2k
1k
8k
11k
4k
 30,230 Pekan 3,303 ha
2017
2k
767
1k
1k
590
507
 5,939 Sibu 1,862 ha
2016
2k
13k
53k
30k
6k
2k
5k
3k
630
 114,775 Beaufort 8,047 ha

Hectares burned per year

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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Largest recorded fires

By region

  1. Pahang 107,931 ha · 108
  2. Sabah 95,535 ha · 106
  3. Sarawak 78,224 ha · 87
  4. Johor 16,490 ha · 22
  5. Terengganu 9,142 ha · 11
  6. Selangor 8,805 ha · 7
  7. Kelantan 6,176 ha · 8
  8. Kedah 1,914 ha · 4
  9. Perlis 1,067 ha · 2
  10. Perak 667 ha · 1
  11. Negeri Sembilan 97 ha · 1

Districts that have burned most often in Malaysia

  1. 77×Pekan11 years · 77,001 ha
  2. 46×Beaufort5 years · 33,753 ha
  3. 24×Miri8 years · 20,846 ha
  4. 24×Kuala Penyu5 years · 13,603 ha
  5. 22×Rompin8 years · 19,786 ha

Full ranking: by number of fires, area and share of the municipality →

Fires in 2026 · 48

See all 48 fires of 2026 →

Fires in 2025 · 10

Fires in 2024 · 49

See all 49 fires of 2024 →

Fires in 2023 · 4

Fires in 2022 · 3

Fires in 2021 · 14

Fires in 2020 · 24

See all 24 fires of 2020 →

Fires in 2019 · 75

See all 75 fires of 2019 →

Fires in 2018 · 32

See all 32 fires of 2018 →

Fires in 2017 · 7

Fires in 2016 · 104

See all 104 fires of 2016 →

Frequently asked questions

How much land burns in Malaysia in an average year?
According to Copernicus GWIS estimates, an average of 100,847 hectares burn in Malaysia each year (2016–2025 average).
What was the worst wildfire year in Malaysia?
The worst year in Malaysia since 2016 was 2016, with 316,499 hectares burned according to Copernicus GWIS.
What is the largest wildfire recorded in Malaysia?
Largest fire recorded by WorldFires in Malaysia since 2016: Beaufort fire, 16 March 2016, with 8,047 hectares burned — perimeter rebuilt from heat detections (Copernicus GWIS).
When is wildfire season in Malaysia?
In Malaysia, 64% of the area burned in fires with a WorldFires page since 2016 burned in March–May; the month with the most burned area: March.
How many wildfires has Malaysia had in 2026?
Fires counted by Copernicus GWIS in Malaysia so far in 2026 (up to week 42): 227, against an average of 354 per full year in 2016–2025. Malaysia is running below the usual for this point in the year, at 39 % of the average: 60,160 hectares burned up to week 42, against an average of 154,827 in 2012–2025 (Copernicus GWIS).
Which regions of Malaysia burn the most?
Regions of Malaysia with the most area burned in fires with a WorldFires page since 2016: Pahang (107,931 ha), Sabah (95,535 ha), Sarawak (78,224 ha).