Smoke plumes from Chile wildfires seen by Sentinel-3

This image, captured by Copernicus Sentinel-3 on 18 January 2026, shows clouds of smoke from wildfires on the coast of Chile.

The fires have been burning in numerous locations along Chile’s coast, including in the regions of Ñuble and Biobío, where a state of catastrophe has been declared.

This image shows one of the most badly affected areas, near the city of Concepcion, approximately 570 km southwest of the capital Santiago. The fires have been exacerbated by intense heat in the region and high winds, with parts of central and southern Chile forecast to reach temperatures up to 35 degrees Celcius on Tuesday. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed in the fire and at least 19 casualties have been reported.

The image was captured by Sentinel-3’s Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI), an imaging spectrometer. OLCI’s 21 distinct spectral bands measure data on ocean colour and vegetation with a spatial resolution of 300 m. This provides data for monitoring ocean ecosystems, supporting crop management and agriculture and providing estimates of atmospheric aerosol and clouds.

The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission consists of two satellites, with a third satellite due to be launched later this year.