Overview
- Official reports say wildfires remain active in at least five regions and have caused six confirmed deaths so far.
- The Cusco region faces six simultaneous active fires and has recorded more than 16,000 hectares burned in 2026.
- Five people died in Cusco, including three elderly residents and two siblings, while an 82-year-old man named Felipe Cjuno Medina died in Puno after being injured seeking help.
- Authorities warn fires can move at 15 to 20 kilometers per hour, and response teams are using municipal brigades, fire companies, police, the army and Air Force water drops to fight fast-moving fronts.
- Officials say customary agricultural and ritual burning combined with dry fuels from climate change and El Niño have prolonged the season and raise the risk to homes, livestock and native forests as crews struggle with access and limited equipment.