Satellites detect sharp increase in Amazon fires as El Niño drought worsens

Satellites detected sharp increases in fire activity in the central and eastern Amazon starting in September 2026, according to NASA. The space agency said the fires were visible through its Fire Information for Resource Management System, the Global Fire Emissions Database, and NASA Worldview. The elevated fire activity stretched from forests around the commercial and transportation centers of Manaus and Santarém to the mouth of the Amazon River.

NASA said its Aqua satellite captured an image of smoke streaming from fires on both sides of the Amazon River on October 12, 2026. The agency said city officials reported extremely poor air quality in Manaus, with fine particulate matter values above 135 micrograms per cubic meter. Schools closed and citywide events were canceled in the city of more than 2 million people, according to news reports cited by NASA.

The agency said the fires began as management fires used for clearing shrubs and crops but escaped into the parched understory of the rainforest. Analysis indicated there are 50 to 70 uncontrolled fires burning in the Santarém region alone.

Scientists attributed the severe fire season to drought accompanying El Niño. The National Institute of Meteorology reported that rainfall levels in Manaus were 95 percent less than normal in August and 60 percent less than normal in September, according to NASA.

NASA said scientists expect the fires around Santarém and Manaus to continue burning until the rainy season arrives in December 2026 or January 2027. Additional fire activity is expected in November and December in Roraima, northern Pará, and Amapá.