How much land burns in Myanmar in an average year?

According to Copernicus GWIS estimates, an average of 5,989,987 hectares burn in Myanmar each year (2016–2025 average).

What was the worst wildfire year in Myanmar?

The worst year in Myanmar since 2016 was 2020, with 8,172,094 hectares burned according to Copernicus GWIS.

What is the largest wildfire recorded in Myanmar?

Largest fire recorded by WorldFires in Myanmar since 2016: Paletwa fire, 30 March 2023, with 145,898 hectares burned — perimeter rebuilt from heat detections (Copernicus GWIS).

When is wildfire season in Myanmar?

In Myanmar, 96% of the area burned in fires with a WorldFires page since 2016 burned in February–April; the month with the most burned area: March.

How many wildfires has Myanmar had in 2026?

Fires counted by Copernicus GWIS in Myanmar so far in 2026 (up to week 43): 11,678, against an average of 16,660 per full year in 2016–2025. Myanmar is running below the usual for this point in the year, at 67 % of the average: 4,326,639 hectares burned up to week 43, against an average of 6,472,711 in 2012–2025 (Copernicus GWIS).

Which regions of Myanmar burn the most?

Regions of Myanmar with the most area burned in fires with a WorldFires page since 2016: Shan (3,612,741 ha), Chin (1,588,103 ha), Kayah (1,283,786 ha).

MM · Countries

Wildfires in Myanmar

2,062 fires over 2,000 hectares with a perimeter estimated by GWIS since 2016, adding up to 9,657,425 hectares burned across 186 municipalities.

Only fires of 2,000 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 Myanmar today · 5 ›

Key facts

According to Copernicus GWIS, 4,742,878 hectares burned in Myanmar in 2025.
The worst year in Myanmar since 2016 was 2020, with 8,172,094 hectares burned according to Copernicus GWIS.
According to Copernicus GWIS estimates, an average of 5,989,987 hectares burn in Myanmar each year (2016–2025 average).
Fires counted by Copernicus GWIS in Myanmar so far in 2026 (up to week 43): 11,678, against an average of 16,660 per full year in 2016–2025.
Largest fire recorded by WorldFires in Myanmar since 2016: Paletwa fire, 30 March 2023, with 145,898 hectares burned — perimeter rebuilt from heat detections (Copernicus GWIS).

Figures computed on 29 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 43

Copernicus GWIS · provisional

67 % against the 2012–2025 average

Myanmar is running below the usual for this point in the year, at 67 % of the average: 4,326,639 hectares burned up to week 43, against an average of 6,472,711 in 2012–2025 (Copernicus GWIS).

2026: 4,326,639 ha
average: 6,472,711 ha
minimum: 3,678,262 ha
maximum: 8,192,588 ha

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

The season, week by week

Copernicus GWIS

2026 average 2012–2025 lowest and highest

The GWIS yearly series

2012–2026

Yearly average 2016–20255,989,987 ha

Worst year2020 8,172,094 ha

With a page here2,062 since 2016

121314151617181920212223242526

›See the year-by-year table

Year	Fires	hectares	Source
2026	11,678	4,326,639	GWIS
2025	12,109	4,742,878	GWIS
2024	13,634	5,324,551	GWIS
2023	20,573	7,960,234	GWIS
2022	14,081	4,414,048	GWIS
2021	18,951	6,990,159	GWIS
2020	22,771	8,172,094	GWIS
2019	19,817	6,941,255	GWIS
2018	11,441	3,703,889	GWIS
2017	15,335	5,405,382	GWIS
2016	17,883	6,245,377	GWIS
2015	19,016	6,902,568	GWIS
2014	21,751	8,221,142	GWIS
2013	22,046	8,110,501	GWIS
2012	21,005	7,979,589	GWIS

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

Fire calendar

The peak usually comes in week 11 (around 15 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 < 7,8057,805–24,05224,052–74,185≥ 74,185

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.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Nov	Dec	Σ	Largest of the year
2026	108k	761k	1,822k	209k				2,901,469	Langkho 122,602 ha
2025	3k	167k	385k	3k	5k	7k		569,868	Lawksawk 38,375 ha
2024	5k	464k	276k	79k				823,746	Mese 45,818 ha
2023	63k	125k	621k	435k	3k			1,247,949	Paletwa 145,898 ha
2022	10k	43k	187k	38k				278,079	Shadaw 18,436 ha
2021	33k	340k	399k	60k				831,814	Paletwa 53,795 ha
2020	134k	161k	724k	54k			6k	1,078,237	Kyainseikgyi 75,419 ha
2019	8k	69k	494k	111k	8k			690,178	Sidoktaya 29,536 ha
2018		4k	167k	25k				196,146	Lashio 22,027 ha
2017	7k	165k	231k	94k	2k			498,093	Sidoktaya 16,167 ha
2016		53k	354k	127k	9k			541,846	Myawaddy 15,646 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

Shan 3,612,741 ha · 826
Chin 1,588,103 ha · 282
Kayah 1,283,786 ha · 230
Kayin 780,981 ha · 189
Magway 766,482 ha · 220
Saigang 339,980 ha · 100
Bago 309,098 ha · 91
Mandalay 286,008 ha · 95
Tanitharyi 271,921 ha · 76
Rakhine 229,701 ha · 71
Kachin 98,274 ha · 31
Ayeyarwady 50,195 ha · 14

and 1 more regions with less area

Mon 40,495 ha · 19

Municipalities that have burned most often in Myanmar

111×Langkho11 years · 469,455 ha
94×Paletwa11 years · 803,170 ha
90×Mongton11 years · 371,875 ha
89×Mongping10 years · 491,340 ha
72×Lawksawk10 years · 232,019 ha

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

Fires in 2026 · 480

See all 480 fires of 2026 →

Fires in 2025 · 135

See all 135 fires of 2025 →

Fires in 2024 · 174

See all 174 fires of 2024 →

Fires in 2023 · 240

See all 240 fires of 2023 →

Fires in 2022 · 77

See all 77 fires of 2022 →

Fires in 2021 · 190

See all 190 fires of 2021 →

Fires in 2020 · 232

See all 232 fires of 2020 →

Fires in 2019 · 177

See all 177 fires of 2019 →

Fires in 2018 · 55

See all 55 fires of 2018 →

Fires in 2017 · 145

See all 145 fires of 2017 →

Fires in 2016 · 157

See all 157 fires of 2016 →

Frequently asked questions

How much land burns in Myanmar in an average year?: According to Copernicus GWIS estimates, an average of 5,989,987 hectares burn in Myanmar each year (2016–2025 average).
What was the worst wildfire year in Myanmar?: The worst year in Myanmar since 2016 was 2020, with 8,172,094 hectares burned according to Copernicus GWIS.
What is the largest wildfire recorded in Myanmar?: Largest fire recorded by WorldFires in Myanmar since 2016: Paletwa fire, 30 March 2023, with 145,898 hectares burned — perimeter rebuilt from heat detections (Copernicus GWIS).
When is wildfire season in Myanmar?: In Myanmar, 96% of the area burned in fires with a WorldFires page since 2016 burned in February–April; the month with the most burned area: March.
How many wildfires has Myanmar had in 2026?: Fires counted by Copernicus GWIS in Myanmar so far in 2026 (up to week 43): 11,678, against an average of 16,660 per full year in 2016–2025. Myanmar is running below the usual for this point in the year, at 67 % of the average: 4,326,639 hectares burned up to week 43, against an average of 6,472,711 in 2012–2025 (Copernicus GWIS).
Which regions of Myanmar burn the most?: Regions of Myanmar with the most area burned in fires with a WorldFires page since 2016: Shan (3,612,741 ha), Chin (1,588,103 ha), Kayah (1,283,786 ha).