Environment: Peru
Key Facts
—Who. Sheep-herding communities and fire crews in Huayllay district, Pasco region, central Peru, with brigades from the national parks service Sernanp.
—What. A grassland wildfire that a local resident says has burned more than 1,000 hectares (about 2,500 acres), with its cause not officially confirmed.
—Where. Japurín-Viscas, Yanatuto-Manchán and Gaya, in the buffer zone of the Huayllay Stone Forest National Sanctuary.
—When. The fire flared again on the morning of Friday 9 October 2026, after crews failed to contain it on Thursday night.
—Needed. Residents ask for a helicopter to drop water, specialist wildfire staff and emergency feed for livestock.
—As of. 9 October 2026, 19:30 GMT.
A wildfire in Huayllay, a high-Andean district in Peru’s Pasco region, has burned more than 1,000 hectares of grassland, according to a local resident quoted by regional press. It now threatens the buffer zone of the Huayllay Stone Forest, a protected sanctuary of volcanic rock formations.
What We Know
The fire is burning in the district of Huayllay, in Pasco province, and has spread across the Japurín-Viscas, Yanatuto-Manchán and Gaya grasslands. Andina, Peru’s state news agency, reports that it reignited on Friday morning after attempts to put it out on Thursday night failed.
The national protected areas service (Sernanp) sent brigades to the Japurín sector, working with the Huayllay farming community, the district council, the civil defence institute (Indeci), the National Police, the Pasco fire service and the forest and wildlife service (Serfor). Firefighters from the Junín National Reserve and the Chacamarca Historical Sanctuary joined the effort.
The figure of more than 1,000 hectares comes from David Navarro, a local resident quoted by the Altavoz news site. We have found no official hectare count, so we treat it as an estimate.
Crews are using hand tools, soil and water, and say strong wind and embers smouldering underground make the flames return after they seem to be out. La República says the fire has been burning for several days.
The Sanctuary at Risk
The Huayllay National Sanctuary was created on 7 August 1974 and covers 6,815 hectares, according to Andina. About 90% of its rock formations are volcanic, and visitors come to see stones shaped like animals such as an elephant and a grazing alpaca.
The sanctuary also holds more than 500 cave paintings, and its rock formations sit at roughly 4,100 to 4,600 metres above sea level. Reports so far describe flames in the buffer zone around it, not inside the protected core.
Why the Grass Matters to Families
The burned pastures feed the sheep on which many local families depend for their income. Residents have asked for emergency animal feed, and no livestock deaths had been reported at the time of publication.
Andina reported an earlier fire near the Japurín lagoon in the same district, estimated at 70 to 100 hectares and brought under control by about 50 residents using branches, buckets and shovels. We have not seen any report linking that blaze to the current one.
What Is Not Known
No authority has confirmed what started the fire or the exact area burned. Officials have also not said when the flames might be under control.
It is unclear whether a helicopter has been approved or whether the fire has entered the sanctuary itself. We found no report of injuries, evacuations or damage to visitor facilities.
What It Means for Travelers and US Readers
Huayllay lies in the high Andes of central Peru, and few US visitors reach it outside organised trips. Anyone planning a visit this month should check with the sanctuary’s Sernanp office before travelling, as access and air quality may change.
The fire shows how dry-season blazes strain remote communities that lack aircraft and trained crews. Travellers can follow the US State Department’s advisory for Peru and local alerts from Indeci for updates.
More: Peru news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Huayllay wildfire?
The fire is in the district of Huayllay, in Pasco region, central Peru, across the Japurín-Viscas, Yanatuto-Manchán and Gaya grasslands. It threatens the buffer zone of the Huayllay Stone Forest National Sanctuary.
How big is the fire?
A local resident says more than 1,000 hectares (about 2,500 acres) of natural cover have burned. No official figure has been published.
What caused the fire?
The cause has not been officially confirmed. Authorities have not named anyone responsible.
Is it safe to visit the Huayllay Stone Forest?
We found no report that the fire has entered the sanctuary or that it has closed. Visitors should ask Sernanp and local authorities for current access and air-quality information before travelling.
Sources
Andina (state news agency), 9 October 2026 · Andina, earlier Japurín fire · Andina, Huayllay sanctuary · La República · Altavoz
Connected Coverage
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief