From January to August 2024, fires in Brazil have reached 11.39 million hectares of the country’s territory, according to data from the Mapbiomas Fire Monitor, released on Thursday (12). Of this total, 5.65 million hectares were consumed by fire in August alone, which is equivalent to 49% of the total this year.
The states of Mato Grosso, Roraima and Pará were the most affected, accounting for more than half, 52%, of the area affected by the fire. These three states encompass part of the Amazon Rainforest, the most affected biome until August 2024. The fire consumed 5.4 million hectares of the Amazon in these eight months.
On Tuesday (10) alone, Brazil recorded 5,132 fire outbreaks, which represents 75.9% of all areas affected by fires in South America that day, according to the Fire Program of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
But major cities are also suffering from fires this year. Since the beginning of 2024, the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) has detected 760 fire outbreaks in the state of Rio de Janeiro. This is the highest number of occurrences ever recorded in a single year since 2017, when there were 959 records. It is a record that could still be surpassed, since September and October are months with a high historical average of forest fires.
The reason
Experts have pointed out that ecosystems become more vulnerable to fires during times of drought, such as the one Brazil is currently experiencing. This scenario may be influenced by different factors, such as global warming driven by human action and the effects of the El Niño climate phenomenon, followed by La Niña.
But although the dry climate makes forest areas more susceptible to fires, the origin of these fires is often criminal. There are investigations in several parts of the country that found evidence that reinforces this possibility. Arrests have already been made in recent days, for example, in the states of São Paulo and Goiás.
Consequences
The excessive burning in Brazil has resulted in a drop in air quality in several regions, raising concerns about the health of the population. In recent days, images showing landscapes covered in smoke in some capitals, such as Brasília, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, have gone viral on social media.
With high temperatures and dry, poor-quality air, the air is full of harmful particles that increase the risk of respiratory problems, especially in children, elderly and people with respiratory or heart diseases.
Source: Agência Brasil