Peru Tracks 55 Open Wildfire Alerts, 25 Confirmed
ENVIRONMENT · PERU
Key Facts
- —The country Peru, home to Machu Picchu and the Cusco region, one of the most visited destinations in South America for travellers from the United States.
- —Why it matters Fires are burning in Apurímac, Junín, Huancavelica and Cusco, regions on the main Andean tourist circuit and on farmland that feeds rural families.
- —Why now The weather service expects hotter, windier afternoons in 20 regions from Saturday 10 to Tuesday 13 October, the conditions that spread fire.
- —What happened Serfor’s live data on Saturday 10 October showed 55 forest fire reports not yet put out: 25 confirmed, 28 alerted, 2 controlled.
- —The numbers Civil defence says 15 fires were put out, after burning 963 hectares in Cusco, 806 in Puno and 576 in Ayacucho. Serfor logs 1,812 heat spots.
- —What it means for you Visitors to Cusco and the Sacred Valley should expect smoke, possible road closures and should check routes with operators before treks.
- —Still open When fires in Mariscal Gamarra, Huancarama, Chuquibambilla and Sihuas will be out, and whether a reported fire near Machu Picchu’s buffer zone is contained.
Peru wildfires were still burning across the Andes on Saturday 10 October. The national forest service’s live data showed 55 fire reports not yet put out on Saturday afternoon, Lima time. Of those, 25 were confirmed fires, 28 were alerts still being checked and 2 were under control. The affected regions include Cusco, home to the main route to Machu Picchu, the site most visitors from the United States come to see.
For visitors from the United States, this is mainly a question of smoke, closed rural roads and trekking routes near burning hillsides. For the rural families who live there, it is a question of lost crops, livestock and homes.
The figures come from the fire alert system of Serfor, Peru’s national forest and wildlife service under the agriculture ministry. Apurímac had the most open reports, followed by Junín and Huancavelica. The same system showed 1,812 satellite heat spots in the previous 24 hours. A heat spot is a hot area seen from space, not a confirmed fire.
The stabiliser is that many fires are being put out. Civil defence reported 15 extinguished fires on Saturday morning.
Six Deaths in October, Five in Cusco
Six people have died in forest fires so far this month, five in the Cusco region and one in Puno, El Comercio reported, citing Cusco’s regional disaster risk office and the national emergency operations centre, COEN, run by the civil defence institute Indeci.
In Cusco, three older adults were found dead in Yanatile in Calca province, Colquepata in Paucartambo and Yanahuara in Urubamba. Two siblings aged 11 and 18 died of burns in Pomacanchi, in Acomayo province.
In Puno, Felipe Cjuno Medina, 82, died after a fire in Macari, Melgar province, on Saturday 3 October. He fell while seeking help and was treated for a head injury and burns before he died.
The first wave of fires in the region is covered in Cusco Wildfires Kill Five, Burn 16,000 Hectares. Civil defence figures cited by Actualidad Ambiental put the toll for the whole year at eight deaths and 374 forest fires.
Where Fires Are Out and Where They Still Burn
In press release No. 319-2026, issued at 7:56 a.m. on Saturday, COEN said 15 Peru wildfires had been put out. In four Cusco districts, Yaurisque, Paccaritambo, Mollepata and Oropesa, municipal workers, local security staff and residents put out fires that burned 963 hectares between 4 and 8 October. No one was hurt there.
Fires in Asillo, Huacullani and Moho in Puno were also extinguished after destroying 806 hectares. Two people were injured in Huacullani and treated at the local health centre. In Ayacucho, fires in six districts were put out after burning 576 hectares so far.
Fires were still active in Mariscal Gamarra, Huancarama and Chuquibambilla in Apurímac, and in Sihuas in Áncash. Local damage reports so far count 310 hectares destroyed in total, plus three homes left uninhabitable in Mariscal Gamarra. Fires in Carapo, Ayacucho, and Huando, Huancavelica, were under control.
In Junín, an Asháninka indigenous community in Satipo province has faced a large fire since 4 October. It has burned more than 350 hectares of forest, destroyed cacao and cassava crops and affected ten homes, Actualidad Ambiental reported.
On Friday 9 October, RPP carried a resident’s report of a fire on the hills above Santa María, in the Maranura district of La Convención province. The area lies near the buffer zone of the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary.
The resident, John Mena, said the fire began at about 3 p.m. on Thursday 8 October and that no authority had reached the area. “The fire comes from the upper part and is wiping out natural forest,” he said. No official agency had confirmed the report in the sources reviewed.
Why the Fires Are Spreading
Most Peru wildfires in the Andes start with people, usually farmers burning pasture to renew grazing land, according to Actualidad Ambiental. Dry air, daytime heat, strong sunlight and wind then carry the flames into forest and scrub.
The weather service Senamhi has issued warning No. 404 for rising daytime temperatures in 20 regions, including Cusco and Apurímac, from Saturday 10 to Tuesday 13 October. It expects little cloud around midday, stronger solar radiation and gusts of wind.
The response is growing. Serfor is training more than 400 fire brigade members in Cusco, with 21 certified sessions planned in 26 districts this month. “The goal is to train more than 400 brigade members on the ground,” said Robert Camero Villasante, head of Serfor’s forestry office in Cusco, according to Andina.
Specialists from the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law, a non-profit group, and from the Asháninka Central of the Ene River argue that the deeper problem is weak coordination between agencies before fires start, Actualidad Ambiental reported.
What It Means for You
No official source has reported Peru wildfires reaching Cusco city or the Machu Picchu citadel, but smoke can drift across valleys. Travellers with breathing problems should carry medication and watch local air conditions.
If you are booked on a trek or a rural tour in Cusco, Apurímac or Junín, confirm the route with your operator the day before. Do not hike towards visible smoke, and follow instructions from police, park rangers and firefighters.
If you hold tickets for Machu Picchu, the current entry rules are set out in Machu Picchu Tickets: New Rules on Trial Since 22 September, and check official channels for any change in access. Fire also hit a protected site in the central Andes this week, as reported in Peru Wildfire Threatens Huayllay Stone Forest.
What Is Not Known
There is no single official national figure for the area burned by Peru wildfires this season. Regional and national counts use different dates and methods.
It is not known whether the Maranura fire near the Machu Picchu buffer zone has been brought under control, or whether it has affected any visitor route. No official closure notice was found.
It is also unclear how many of the 28 alerts will turn out to be real fires, and how many open reports are small outbreaks that local brigades can contain within hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many forest fires are active in Peru?
Serfor’s live data on Saturday 10 October 2026 showed 55 forest fire reports not yet put out: 25 confirmed fires, 28 alerts being checked and 2 controlled fires.
Is Machu Picchu affected by the fires?
A resident reported a fire near the buffer zone of the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary in Maranura district. No official source had confirmed any effect on the citadel or visitor routes.
How many people have died in Peru’s wildfires?
Six people have died in forest fires in October, five in Cusco and one in Puno, according to regional and national emergency reports cited by El Comercio. Civil defence data cited by Actualidad Ambiental put the 2026 toll at eight.
Sources: Serfor fire alert data; Indeci press release No. 319-2026; Andina (COEN-Indeci); Andina (Serfor Cusco); Actualidad Ambiental; El Comercio; RPP; La República (Senamhi)
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