Peru Sends Aircraft as Wildfires Burn in Cusco

PERU · ENVIRONMENT

Peru’s central government stepped in on Sunday as fires kept burning in the country’s best-known tourist region.

Peru sent a helicopter, a water-carrying plane, soldiers and firefighters on Sunday, 11 October, to fight the Cusco wildfires. Cusco is home to Machu Picchu and is a major destination for travellers from the United States.

Agriculture Minister Marco Vinelli travelled to the region to coordinate the response, his ministry said. He and Cusco’s regional governor, Werner Salcedo, surveyed the main fire zone from the air.

That area is in Calca, a district in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, about 30 miles by road from Cusco city. The ministry says it is the top priority of the emergency response.

Where the Fires Are Burning

The agriculture ministry, known as Midagri, listed four active fires on Sunday afternoon. One is in Calca district, around the farming communities of Accha Baja and Rayampata.

A second is in Limatambo district, in Anta province, west of Cusco city. Anta also contains Mollepata, the gateway town for the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu.

The other two are in La Convención province, in the districts of Inkahuasi and Maranura. La Convención also contains Santa Teresa, on the back road many budget travellers take to Machu Picchu.

Maranura is where a resident reported a fire on Friday near the buffer zone of the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary. Back then, no agency had confirmed it, as reported in Peru Tracks 55 Open Wildfire Alerts, 25 Confirmed.

Sunday’s ministry list is the first official mention of an active fire in Maranura found by The Rio Times. The ministry did not say how close it is to the sanctuary.

What the Government Sent

In Calca, 29 army soldiers and 40 members of Peru’s volunteer fire service were at work on Sunday. A helicopter was due to carry 14 firefighters to the upper part of the fire.

The government also sent a plane fitted with water tanks. It is deploying a helicopter with a bucket that carries 1,200 litres, about 317 US gallons, per flight.

The Peruvian Air Force and the national civil defence institute, Indeci, joined the planning. The regional government said the meeting with the minister focused on air support for the Calca fire.

“The state’s response must translate into coordination, resources and concrete action on the ground,” Governor Salcedo said in a statement. He also urged residents to avoid behaviour that could start new fires.

The air force is using an Mi-17 helicopter, which had earlier fought a fire in Yanahuara, the online outlet Infobae Perú reported. Police, brigade members and local officials are also involved.

A Smaller Area Than Last Year

Fires have burned about 9,000 hectares, or 22,000 acres, in Cusco so far this year. Miguel Oscco, who heads the regional disaster-risk office, gave that figure to state broadcaster TV Perú, Infobae Perú reported.

He put the figure for the same period of 2025 at about 15,000 hectares, and above 30,000 hectares in 2022. The region has recorded 289 fires this year, he said.

Five people have died in Cusco fires this year, the report said: three older adults and two siblings aged 11 and 18. Oscco warned that resources fall short when several fires break out at once.

One common cause is farmers burning fields or pasture and losing control, he said. Dry vegetation, wind and strong sunlight then spread the flames.

What It Means for You

For travellers, the fires are in rural districts, not in Cusco city or at the Machu Picchu citadel. None of the official releases reviewed announced a road, rail or site closure.

Anyone booked on a Sacred Valley tour, the Salkantay trek or the Santa Teresa route should check with operators first. Smoke can drift across valleys, so travellers with breathing problems should carry medication.

Do not hike towards visible smoke, and follow instructions from police, rangers and firefighters. Check official channels for any change in access to Machu Picchu.

What Is Not Known

The number of active fires is not settled. Midagri listed four on Sunday afternoon, though its summary line said three.

Oscco told TV Perú of two, in Calca and La Convención.

The yearly total is also uncertain. Oscco’s 9,000 hectares came from a broadcast interview, and earlier October reports citing regional emergency data gave more than 16,000 hectares.

No agency has said how many hectares the current fires have burned. It is also unclear when they will be brought under control.

What Comes Next

From Monday, 12 October, the rural aid agency Agro Rural will hand out animal feed, seeds, hay bales and irrigation kits. Technical advice and training for farmers will come with them.

The farm research institute INIA said it had delivered 400 kilograms of oat seed in Calca. The forest service Serfor monitors satellite heat spots around the clock and sends alerts to Indeci.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the Cusco wildfires burning?

The agriculture ministry listed four active fires on Sunday, 11 October. They are in Calca district, Limatambo district in Anta, and Inkahuasi and Maranura in La Convención.

What has Peru sent to fight the fires?

The government sent a plane with water tanks and a helicopter with a 1,200-litre bucket. In Calca, 29 soldiers and 40 volunteer firefighters were working on Sunday.

Are the fires affecting Machu Picchu?

No official source has reported fire at the Machu Picchu citadel or a closure of the site. One active fire is in Maranura, where a resident earlier reported flames near the sanctuary’s buffer zone.

How much land has burned in Cusco this year?

About 9,000 hectares, or 22,000 acres, according to the head of the regional disaster-risk office. He said about 15,000 hectares had burned by this time in 2025.

Sources: Midagri press release, 11 October 2026; Gobierno Regional Cusco press release, 11 October 2026; RPP; Infobae Perú (TV Perú interview) (all accessed 11 October 2026).