Open burning in mainland Southeast Asia is a primary driver of transboundary haze, severely impacting human health, regional economies, and ecological stability. As climate change and human activities accelerate resource depletion, understanding the spatiotemporal patterns of fire hotspots—especially during global disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic—is essential for evidence-based environmental management. This study aims to utilize satellite remote sensing to examine the spatial distribution of fire hotspots across Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam during the dry seasons (January–April) of 2019–2022, comparing pre-pandemic baselines with pandemicera patterns and validating detection accuracy through field observations. A quantitative, two-phase research design was employed: first, using MODIS satellite data for regional temporal analysis; and second, utilizing VIIRS data for ground-truth verification in Kaysone Phomvihane District, Laos, where satellite coordinates were compared with field GPS data, photographs, and environmental observations. Results reveal a consistent seasonal progression, with burning peaking in Cambodia during January–February before expanding into Myanmar and Laos in March. Notably, a statistically significant downward trend in hotspot density occurred from 2019 through 2022, with the lowest activity recorded in 2022, likely due to pandemic-related shifts toward technology-based livelihoods. The study confirms that remote sensing is a highly accurate monitoring tool, demonstrating an average longitudinal deviation of only -29.568 meters between satellite and ground-level coordinates. These results provide a robust framework for policymakers to implement staggered, country-specific interventions to mitigate agricultural burning and improve regional air quality.