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Wildfires in Nicaragua

355 fires over 1,000 hectares with a perimeter estimated by GWIS since 2016, adding up to 740,804 hectares burned across 63 municipalities.

Only fires of 1,000 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 Nicaragua today › Emergency number and official warnings ›

Key facts

Figures computed on 2 November 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
47 % against the 2012–2025 average

Nicaragua is running below the usual for this point in the year, at 47 % of the average: 207,634 hectares burned up to week 43, against an average of 443,682 in 2012–2025 (Copernicus GWIS).

2026
207,634 ha
average
443,682 ha
minimum
140,525 ha
maximum
780,953 ha

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

The season, week by week

Copernicus GWIS
0 393k 787k Jan Apr Jul Oct Dec
2026 average 2012–2025 lowest and highest

The GWIS yearly series

2012–2026
Yearly average 2016–2025459,984 ha
Worst year2023 786,889 ha
With a page here355 since 2016
121314151617181920212223242526
›See the year-by-year table
Year Fires hectares Source
2026709 208,036 GWIS
2025549 142,354 GWIS
20241,980 668,106 GWIS
20232,320 786,889 GWIS
20221,092 286,244 GWIS
2021932 225,016 GWIS
20202,199 619,465 GWIS
20192,046 595,279 GWIS
20181,590 439,224 GWIS
2017956 259,237 GWIS
20161,907 578,028 GWIS
20151,265 343,173 GWIS
20141,992 556,414 GWIS
20132,128 586,781 GWIS
2012922 238,191 GWIS

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

Fire calendar

The peak usually comes in week 16 (around 19 April): 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 < 1,6911,691–3,2343,234–7,918≥ 7,918

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
10k
10k
39k
29k
 87,410 Municipio Macuelizo 14,224 ha
2025
2k
 2,293 Municipio Prinzapolka 1,147 ha
2024
9k
17k
95k
50k
 170,994 Municipio San José de Bocay 42,436 ha
2023
2k
3k
70k
85k
 160,296 Municipio Prinzapolka 30,477 ha
2022
10k
13k
1k
 24,220 Municipio Larreynaga 2,442 ha
2021
3k
2k
 4,891 Municipio Prinzapolka 1,558 ha
2020
2k
10k
60k
9k
 80,785 El Viejo (Municipio) 6,108 ha
2019
3k
26k
32k
3k
 62,897 El Viejo (Municipio) 7,039 ha
2018
3k
18k
26k
3k
 50,480 Municipio San Juan de Nicaragua 7,958 ha
2017
2k
5k
13k
5k
 24,702 El Viejo (Municipio) 5,250 ha
2016
5k
5k
17k
45k
 71,836 Municipio Prinzapolka 4,579 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. North Carribean Coast Autonomous Region 367,518 ha · 181
  2. Chinandega 102,371 ha · 62
  3. Jinotega (Departamento) 73,225 ha · 10
  4. South Atlantic Autonomous Region 60,449 ha · 34
  5. Nueva Segovia 52,100 ha · 21
  6. León 28,641 ha · 21
  7. Rivas 14,150 ha · 12
  8. Río San Juan 13,183 ha · 7
  9. Managua 12,835 ha · 11
  10. Madriz 9,136 ha · 4
  11. Chontales 3,204 ha · 2
  12. Carazo 2,341 ha · 1
and 2 more regions with less area
  1. Estelí 2,113 ha · 2
  2. Granada 1,337 ha · 2

Municipalities that have burned most often in Nicaragua

  1. 87×Municipio Prinzapolka9 years · 211,284 ha
  2. 56×Municipio Waspán8 years · 78,607 ha
  3. 37×Municipio Puerto Cabezas10 years · 55,074 ha
  4. 33×El Viejo (Municipio)9 years · 59,409 ha
  5. 12×Municipio Rosita5 years · 22,545 ha

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

Fires in 2026 · 44

See all 44 fires of 2026 →

Fires in 2025 · 2

Fires in 2024 · 58

See all 58 fires of 2024 →

Fires in 2023 · 61

See all 61 fires of 2023 →

Fires in 2022 · 18

Fires in 2021 · 4

Fires in 2020 · 47

See all 47 fires of 2020 →

Fires in 2019 · 38

See all 38 fires of 2019 →

Fires in 2018 · 28

See all 28 fires of 2018 →

Fires in 2017 · 15

Fires in 2016 · 40

See all 40 fires of 2016 →

Frequently asked questions

How much land burns in Nicaragua in an average year?
According to Copernicus GWIS estimates, an average of 459,984 hectares burn in Nicaragua each year (2016–2025 average).
What was the worst wildfire year in Nicaragua?
The worst year in Nicaragua since 2016 was 2023, with 786,889 hectares burned according to Copernicus GWIS.
What is the largest wildfire recorded in Nicaragua?
Largest fire recorded by WorldFires in Nicaragua since 2016: Municipio San José de Bocay fire, 12 April 2024, with 42,436 hectares burned — perimeter rebuilt from heat detections (Copernicus GWIS).
When is wildfire season in Nicaragua?
In Nicaragua, 93% of the area burned in fires with a WorldFires page since 2016 burned in March–May; the month with the most burned area: April.
How many wildfires has Nicaragua had in 2026?
Fires counted by Copernicus GWIS in Nicaragua so far in 2026 (up to week 43): 707, against an average of 1,557 per full year in 2016–2025. Nicaragua is running below the usual for this point in the year, at 47 % of the average: 207,634 hectares burned up to week 43, against an average of 443,682 in 2012–2025 (Copernicus GWIS).
Which regions of Nicaragua burn the most?
Regions of Nicaragua with the most area burned in fires with a WorldFires page since 2016: North Carribean Coast Autonomous Region (367,518 ha), Chinandega (102,371 ha), Jinotega (Departamento) (73,225 ha).