# Costa Rica Forest Fires Jump Elevenfold, Guanacaste Hit Hardest > By Feb. 18, 2026, Costa Rica's firefighters had handled 33 forest fires, 11 times as many as on the same date in 2025, and 25 of them were in Guanacaste. The early surge turned into the worst fire season on record, with 233 forest fires and nearly 31,000 hectares burned by the end of May. Source: https://pura-verde.com/news/guanacaste-forest-fires-2026/ Last checked: 2026-10-30 Costa Rica's 2026 fire season started fast and never really slowed down. By Feb. 18, the national Fire Department had responded to 33 forest fires, compared with just 3 on the same date in 2025, an elevenfold jump. Guanacaste accounted for 25 of them. [The Tico Times reported the figures](https://ticotimes.net/2026/02/19/costa-rica-sees-11-fold-jump-in-forest-fires-as-dry-winds-fuel-crisis) on Feb. 19, the same day [El Observador published](https://observador.cr/costa-rica-suma-33-incendios-forestales-en-el-inicio-de-temporada/) the Fire Department's count. ## The numbers in mid-February The elevenfold figure is a national comparison for a specific window: Jan. 1 to Feb. 18. On that date in 2024, the count stood at 11. The 33 fires of 2026 had burned about 1,250 hectares, and that didn't include four fires still being brought under control in Carrillo, Nicoya and Cañas in Guanacaste and Salinas in Puntarenas. The surge was already visible two weeks earlier. On Feb. 3, battalion chief Luis Chaves told El Observador the department had logged 14 forest fires and more than 2,200 fire emergencies of all kinds. SINAC had declared the season open on Jan. 16, when strong winds from a cold surge were gusting past 100 km/h in northern Guanacaste, according to a ministry notice [reported by Delfino](https://delfino.cr/2026/01/inicia-la-temporada-de-incendios-2026-autoridades-llaman-a-extremar-medidas-de-prevencion). ## Who starts the fires Gabriel Barrantes of the Fire Department's Forest Operations Unit has been blunt: people start them. In Costa Rica, he told El Observador, it isn't lightning, "they're people who start it" (translated from Spanish). Burning trash, clearing fields with fire and letting a pile of leaves get away are the usual culprits. Dry-season trade winds then push the flames across pasture and secondary forest. Barrantes also noted that fires have spread beyond the traditional Pacific hot spots, with cases in Limón, Heredia, Cartago and Indigenous territories over the past three years. ## How the season ended up The early alarm proved right. By April 24, the count had reached 209 forest fires and more than 28,000 hectares, beating the previous record year, 2024, which closed with 141 fires and 27,865 hectares burned. Guanacaste had 144 of those 209 fires. By the end of May, the Fire Department's total was 233 forest fires and 30,868 hectares, with Guanacaste at 160 fires and 26,363 hectares, roughly 7 of every 10 fires in the country. Barrantes told El Observador that fires in Guanacaste in May used to be unusual, because the rains normally arrived by then. The season's biggest single blaze was an exception to the human-cause rule. Lightning sparked a fire in Palo Verde National Park on May 28 that burned more than 4,000 hectares of wetland in the Catalina wetland before MINAE declared it contained on June 3, as [Delfino reported](https://delfino.cr/2026/06/incendio-en-parque-nacional-palo-verde-afecto-cerca-de-4000-hectareas). We cover that fire and its aftermath in [Palo Verde rangers face the aftermath of a wildfire](/news/palo-verde-wildfire-2026/). ## Why it matters beyond the burned acres Fire in the dry tropical forest does damage that lasts. It kills young trees that regrow slowly, strips cover from wildlife, and leaves soil that sheds rain instead of soaking it up. A single blaze can undo years of planting, which is why fire prevention is part of any serious [reforestation effort in Costa Rica](/reforestation-costa-rica/). That last point ties fire to water: less infiltration means less recharge for the aquifers Guanacaste towns depend on. Our [climate resilience guide](/climate-resilience-costa-rica/) looks at how community water boards are coping. It's worth reading alongside our story on [74 communities rationing water](/news/water-rationing-74-communities/). ## What's coming next The outlook isn't reassuring. The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) expects El Niño to stay very strong from November 2026 to January 2027, and it forecasts the North Pacific dry season starting between Nov. 3 and 15, [CRHoy reported](https://crhoy.com/nacionales/el-nino-mantendra-efectos-intensos-hasta-inicios-de-2027/) on Oct. 21. The North Pacific had a 43% rainfall deficit from January through September. In April, Barrantes warned that the 209 fires counted by then "could eventually fall short" if people don't act now (translated from Spanish). ## How residents and visitors can help The advice from firefighters and SINAC is simple. Don't burn trash or leaves, especially on windy days. Don't light campfires in or near forest. Don't toss cigarette butts from cars. If you see suspicious smoke, call 911 right away. If you're visiting national parks in Guanacaste during the dry season, check with SINAC or the park office before you go, since sectors can close during fire emergencies. Our map shows [national parks across the country](/#park). ## Frequently asked questions ### When is forest fire season in Costa Rica? It runs through the dry season, roughly January to May, and fires usually peak from late February into March. In 2026, SINAC declared the season open on Jan. 16. ### Why does Guanacaste have so many forest fires? It's the driest region, with strong dry-season winds and lots of pasture and dry forest. Firefighters say most fires are started by people burning trash or clearing land. ### Was 2026 Costa Rica's worst fire year? Yes, by the Fire Department's count. By the end of May it had logged 233 forest fires and 30,868 hectares burned, above the 2024 record of 141 fires. ### How do I report a forest fire in Costa Rica? Call 911. Firefighters ask people to report smoke early, because small fires are much easier to stop.