A drought linked to El Niño has triggered major fires in the central and eastern Amazon, with smoke choking Manaus and Santarém. Scientists say the blaze is likely to spread north and later south over many months.
01Summary
- 01Satellites detected sharp increases in fire activity and smoke emissions in the central and eastern Amazon starting in September 2026.
- 02On 12 October 2026, heavy smoke from fires on both sides of the Amazon River left Manaus with very poor air quality and a PM2.5 reading above 135 micrograms per cubic metre.
- 03City officials in Manaus closed schools and cancelled citywide events and children's sports leagues because of hazardous air quality.
- 04NASA scientist Douglas Morton said the fire pattern began in Indonesia and is now reaching the Amazon as part of an El Niño-linked tropical cascade.
- 05Shane Coffield said analysis around Santarém has identified 50 to 70 uncontrolled fires there and about 40% more fires than appear in FIRMS counts.
02Why it matters
The fires are damaging one of the world’s most important rainforests and are already affecting daily life in major Amazon cities through smoke and unsafe air. Scientists say the risk may grow as the El Niño-driven drought continues into 2027.
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