Sukamara fire, 18 July 2026 Sukamara, Ketapang
The fire started on 18 July 2026 in Sukamara, Indonesia, and satellites saw it burning for 99 days. Copernicus’s global GWIS system rebuilt a burnt perimeter of 92,411 hectares from heat detections, spread across 2 municipalities.
This page is probably a fire complex, not a single fire. GWIS merges into one perimeter the fires that touch over weeks, which in large burning seasons can join dozens of separate fires. The total area is reliable; the origin and dates refer to the whole complex.
Other fire pages in the same area and on the same dates:
- 69,650 haSukamara 18 August 2026 · 68 days
- 59,786 haKetapang 11 August 2026 · 75 days
- 32,511 haKetapang 17 August 2026 · 63 days
- 5,304 haSukamara25 August 2026 · 4 days
- 5,024 haKetapang 29 August 2026 · 27 days
- 3,009 haKetapang 15 October 2026 · 10 days
- 2,702 haKetapang 11 October 2026 · 14 days
- 2,528 haSukamara9 September 2026 · 16 days
It is the 4th largest in Central Kalimantan since 2016 (of 318 with a page). Number 11 in Indonesia in 2026, of 1004.
Compare with…
Is it still active?
Satellites detected fire on 24 Oct 2026, 06:31 UTC. Everything suggests it is still burning. Satellites pass a few times a day and cloud or smoke can hide the fire: a lack of detections is not an official extinction. Each country’s emergency service declares a fire contained or out.
- Burnt area
- 92,411ha
- GWIS perimeter (Copernicus)
- Duration
- 99days
- 18 Jul 2026 – 24 Oct 2026
- Municipalities hit
- 2
- regencies
- Started on
- 18 Jul
- 2026
- Heat detections
- 4,704
- in a single hotspot: 171 MW
- Danger at start
- 10
- Low · FWI index
- Average daily power
- 449MW
- detected power per day, on average
Where it burned
How it evolved, day by day
Fire radiative power detected each day, in megawatts, and number of hotspots. The magenta bar marks the peak day.
The weather it burned in
It had gone 9 days without rain (1 mm or more) when it started.
This area had burned before
49% of the perimeter overlaps earlier fires recorded since 2016: 764 ha in 2017, 17,276 ha in 2018, 63,657 ha in 2019, 21,231 ha in 2023, 452 ha in 2024. Part of it burned more than once, so the yearly figures add up to more than the 45,059 ha that had burned before.
- 10,884 ha Sukamara fire, August 2019 9,228 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
- 9,578 ha Sukamara fire, September 2019 5,799 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
- 3,546 ha Sukamara fire, October 2019 2,835 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
- 2,396 ha Sukamara fire, October 2019 1,664 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
- 253 ha Sukamara fire, September 2018 2,766 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
- 117 ha Ketapang fire, September 2019 2,460 ha in total; the hectares shown are those it shares with this fire
How big is it?
London boundary: geoBoundaries · Office for National Statistics (Open Government Licence v3.0).
Jakarta boundary: geoBoundaries · Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS - Statistics Indonesia), World Food Programme, OCHA ROAP (CC BY 3.0 IGO).
Paris boundary: geoBoundaries · Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière (IGN-F) (Etalab Open License 2.0).
Madrid boundary: geoBoundaries · Open Data ESRI, IGN Central Registry of Cartography Area (CC BY 4.0).
This compares size, not location: both shapes are at the same scale, north up, centred on each other.
What happened to each town
-
Sukamara where it started92,363 ha reached on 18 Jul28 %
-
265 ha reached on 18 Aug0.0 %
Burnt area inside each municipality, from crossing the GWIS perimeter with administrative boundaries. The distance is from the town centre to the nearest fire: staying a kilometre away does not mean it reached the houses.
The weather day by day
ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at the fire location, the standard reference for past weather, and the Canadian Fire Weather Index (the same system Copernicus uses), computed by WorldFires from that data. Days after the fire run until the first rain.
Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0) · Copernicus Climate Change Service (ERA5)
| Day | High | Min. humidity | Peak gust | Rain | Danger (FWI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jul | 31.4 °C | 53 % | 15 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 10 |
| 19 Jul | 31.2 °C | 53 % | 15 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 10 |
| 20 Jul | 31.5 °C | 51 % | 15 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 11 |
| 21 Jul | 31.1 °C | 54 % | 16 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 22 Jul | 31.0 °C | 52 % | 15 km/h | 0.1 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 23 Jul | 30.2 °C | 55 % | 16 km/h | 2.3 mm | Very low 5 |
| 24 Jul | 30.5 °C | 53 % | 18 km/h | 0.0 mm | Low 11 |
| 25 Jul | 30.0 °C | 52 % | 18 km/h | 0.1 mm | Moderate 13 |
| 26 Jul | 30.8 °C | 52 % | 17 km/h | 0.1 mm | Moderate 14 |
| 27 Jul | 30.5 °C | 57 % | 30 km/h | 0.3 mm | Moderate 14 |
| 28 Jul | 29.0 °C | 75 % | 41 km/h | 0.6 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 29 Jul | 29.5 °C | 70 % | 46 km/h | 0.2 mm | Moderate 14 |
| 30 Jul | 29.9 °C | 68 % | 42 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 13 |
| 31 Jul | 29.8 °C | 69 % | 44 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 14 |
| 1 Aug | 29.5 °C | 69 % | 45 km/h | 0.3 mm | Moderate 14 |
| 2 Aug | 29.2 °C | 68 % | 41 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 14 |
| 3 Aug | 29.5 °C | 68 % | 39 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 13 |
| 4 Aug | 29.0 °C | 68 % | 44 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 15 |
| 5 Aug | 28.9 °C | 67 % | 39 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 14 |
| 6 Aug | 29.3 °C | 68 % | 37 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 14 |
| 7 Aug | 29.0 °C | 66 % | 41 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 15 |
| 8 Aug | 29.1 °C | 62 % | 44 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 17 |
| 9 Aug | 28.8 °C | 66 % | 39 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 16 |
| 10 Aug | 28.6 °C | 70 % | 36 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 16 |
| 11 Aug | 28.6 °C | 66 % | 39 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 17 |
| 12 Aug | 29.0 °C | 67 % | 41 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 17 |
| 13 Aug | 29.0 °C | 69 % | 41 km/h | 0.1 mm | Moderate 18 |
| 14 Aug | 29.0 °C | 73 % | 41 km/h | 0.2 mm | Moderate 16 |
| 15 Aug | 29.2 °C | 70 % | 40 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 16 |
| 16 Aug | 29.9 °C | 66 % | 41 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 17 |
| 17 Aug | 29.0 °C | 69 % | 38 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 16 |
| 18 Aug | 29.6 °C | 64 % | 48 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 20 |
| 19 Aug | 28.6 °C | 68 % | 43 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 19 |
| 20 Aug | 28.9 °C | 67 % | 42 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 19 |
| 21 Aug | 29.0 °C | 67 % | 42 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 19 |
| 22 Aug | 28.9 °C | 69 % | 44 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 20 |
| 23 Aug | 28.9 °C | 68 % | 45 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 20 |
| 24 Aug | 29.0 °C | 67 % | 52 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 22 |
| 25 Aug | 29.6 °C | 65 % | 50 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 23 |
| 26 Aug | 29.0 °C | 67 % | 46 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 22 |
| 27 Aug | 28.8 °C | 68 % | 45 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 21 |
| 28 Aug | 29.0 °C | 65 % | 45 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 21 |
| 29 Aug | 28.6 °C | 68 % | 41 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 20 |
| 30 Aug | 29.0 °C | 68 % | 36 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 20 |
| 31 Aug | 28.8 °C | 68 % | 38 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 20 |
| 1 Sept | 29.3 °C | 65 % | 53 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 25 |
| 2 Sept | 29.5 °C | 60 % | 44 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 22 |
| 3 Sept | 29.5 °C | 65 % | 42 km/h | 0.4 mm | High 22 |
| 4 Sept | 28.7 °C | 69 % | 45 km/h | 0.3 mm | High 23 |
| 5 Sept | 28.8 °C | 66 % | 43 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 22 |
| 6 Sept | 29.0 °C | 67 % | 44 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 22 |
| 7 Sept | 29.1 °C | 69 % | 45 km/h | 0.4 mm | High 23 |
| 8 Sept | 29.2 °C | 69 % | 45 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 23 |
| 9 Sept | 29.5 °C | 67 % | 44 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 23 |
| 10 Sept | 29.4 °C | 70 % | 44 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 22 |
| 11 Sept | 29.5 °C | 69 % | 48 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 24 |
| 12 Sept | 29.6 °C | 66 % | 41 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 22 |
| 13 Sept | 29.2 °C | 71 % | 48 km/h | 1.8 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 14 Sept | 29.6 °C | 66 % | 51 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 20 |
| 15 Sept | 29.4 °C | 66 % | 42 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 20 |
| 16 Sept | 29.7 °C | 66 % | 45 km/h | 0.3 mm | High 22 |
| 17 Sept | 29.1 °C | 68 % | 37 km/h | 0.1 mm | Moderate 19 |
| 18 Sept | 29.7 °C | 66 % | 40 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 20 |
| 19 Sept | 29.5 °C | 71 % | 43 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 21 |
| 20 Sept | 29.9 °C | 67 % | 44 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 21 |
| 21 Sept | 29.6 °C | 70 % | 42 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 21 |
| 22 Sept | 29.8 °C | 68 % | 44 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 22 |
| 23 Sept | 29.5 °C | 70 % | 41 km/h | 0.0 mm | High 21 |
| 24 Sept | 30.0 °C | 70 % | 35 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 19 |
| 25 Sept | 30.1 °C | 71 % | 41 km/h | 0.4 mm | High 22 |
| 26 Sept | 29.8 °C | 73 % | 38 km/h | 1.0 mm | Moderate 13 |
| 27 Sept | 29.5 °C | 73 % | 35 km/h | 0.2 mm | Moderate 15 |
| 28 Sept | 30.0 °C | 69 % | 35 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 17 |
| 29 Sept | 30.4 °C | 68 % | 35 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 18 |
| 30 Sept | 29.5 °C | 74 % | 36 km/h | 1.0 mm | Moderate 12 |
| 1 Oct | 28.8 °C | 70 % | 32 km/h | 1.7 mm | Low 9 |
| 2 Oct | 30.1 °C | 66 % | 38 km/h | 0.0 mm | Moderate 16 |
| 3 Oct | 29.9 °C | 66 % | 41 km/h | 0.1 mm | Moderate 20 |
Before and after, from space
Drag the line to compare the same ground before the fire and after it.
If the day is cloudy, change the date: each satellite passes once a day. In false colour the burnt ground looks brown or red.
The smoke
CAMS · CopernicusOn 21 September 2026 the air beside the fire reached 100 µg/m³ of PM2.5. That day averaged 47: 3.1 times the WHO daily guideline (15).
Particles from the Copernicus CAMS model at the centre of the perimeter; these are not measurements in each town. The pale bar is the worst hour, the solid one the daily average.
Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0) · Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS)
Detections table · 4,704Every satellite heat detection, one by one, with time, satellite, power and coordinates.
| Date and time | Satellite | FRP (MW) | Lat | Lon |
|---|
Other fires nearby
- 9,228 haSukamaraAugust 2019 · 39 days · 7 km away
- 2,835 haSukamara30 October 2019 · 15 days · 9 km away
- 5,799 haSukamara1 September 2019 · 23 days · 17 km away
- 3,795 haKetapang4 September 2019 · 16 days · 30 km away
- 69,650 haSukamara 18 August 2026 · 68 days · 31 km away
- 5,304 haSukamara25 August 2026 · 4 days · 32 km away
Frequently asked questions
- How long did the Sukamara fire last?
- According to the heat detections seen by satellite inside the perimeter, it burned from 18 July 2026 to 24 October 2026 (99 days). The perimeter dates it from 23 July 2026 to 23 October 2026.
- How much area did it burn?
- The perimeter GWIS (Copernicus) rebuilt from heat detections is 92,411 hectares (924.1 km²). It is an estimate: official national figures may differ.
- Which municipalities burned?
- The fire entered 2 municipalities: Sukamara (92,363 ha, 28 %); Ketapang (265 ha, 0.0 %).
- Is the Sukamara fire still active?
- Yes: satellites detected fire on 24 Oct 2026, 06:31 UTC. Check the emergency service for the official status.
- What was the weather like?
- During the fire the temperature reached 31.5 °C, humidity dropped to 51 % and gusts hit 53 km/h. The fire danger index (FWI) reached 25, class High.
- Where does this data come from?
- From the GWIS (Copernicus) burnt perimeter, NASA FIRMS VIIRS hotspots and the administrative boundaries of Indonesia (geoBoundaries). It is not an official report.
Where to verify it
A satellite detection is not an official report. Final figures and the fire’s status are published by each country’s emergency service.
Emergency number: 112
Satellite cross-check
Does something look wrong on this page?
This page is built from satellite data and official records, and it sometimes gets things wrong: the wrong dates, the wrong town, two fires merged into one, or something that was not a wildfire at all. If you know this fire first-hand (you live nearby, saw it, fought it or reported on it), tell us what really happened and we will check it.
Report an error
How we know this
- Perimeter: GWIS (Copernicus), rebuilt from heat detections rather than mapped on imagery; 21 polygons grouped in this page.
- Dates adjusted with the VIIRS detections inside the perimeter, which said 23 July 2026 to 23 October 2026. 4,704 Suomi-NPP VIIRS detections on those dates.
- We have not matched this page with any official record.
- Weather: Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis at the fire location, in cells of about 25 km.
Where this data comes from
The perimeter comes from the Copernicus Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), which rebuilds it from MODIS and VIIRS heat detections and publishes it under CC BY 4.0. It is not measured on imagery as in Europe, so it is an estimate. Heat detections come from the VIIRS sensors aboard Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20, distributed by NASA FIRMS at 375 m resolution. Municipal boundaries come from geoBoundaries ADM2 (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Intergovernmental Organisations (CC BY 3.0 IGO)). The area per municipality is computed by WorldFires by crossing the perimeter with those boundaries, so it may differ from each country’s official figure.