Overview
- Fires during the first week of October have left six people dead—five in Cusco and one in Puno—and continue with active fronts in Cusco, Apurímac, Ayacucho, Junín and Puno.
- Cusco has recorded more than 16,000 hectares burned so far in 2026 and was reporting six active fires concentrated across several provinces as new outbreaks were confirmed on October 8.
- Officials say flames are spreading unusually fast, at roughly 15–20 km/h, and crews face hard access, recurring hotspots and weather forecasts of high temperatures and strong winds that slow suppression.
- Response teams combine regional firefighters, municipal brigades, police, army units and Air Force water drops while Serfor has launched certified training for more than 400 local brigadistas this month and is expanding early‑warning support.
- Authorities blame repeated human use of fire and climate factors for a prolonged March–November season that heightens risk to rural communities, livestock, crops and archaeological sites and could cause more outbreaks if red‑alert weather persists.