A severe forest fire erupted in The Democratic Republic of Congo on September 1, 2026, burning for ten days and causing significant ecological damage.

The region has long been vulnerable to such events due to deforestation and climate change impacts. This fire highlights the increasing risk of wildfires in tropical forests.

Local communities face severe socio-economic fallout from this event, including loss of livelihoods dependent on forest resources and increased vulnerability to vector-borne diseases.