Nearly a quarter of Brazil’s territory caught fire at least once between 1985 and 2023, covering 199.1 million hectares, or 23 percent of the country’s land area.
Of the area affected by fire, 68.4 percent was native vegetation, while 31.6 percent was influenced by human activities, particularly farming. The Cerrado and the Amazon are the main biomes impacted by fires, whether natural or man-made, accounting for 86 percent of the burned area.
The data, obtained by comparing satellite images, is part of a study released by MapBiomas Fogo, a network of universities, non-governmental organizations, and technology companies in Brazil.
Using satellite images, researchers can analyze the size and historical patterns of the burned areas, but they cannot pinpoint the exact cause of the fires.
However, Ane Alencar, coordinator of MapBiomas Fogo and director of Science at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), explained to Agência Brasil that it is possible to determine that most fires are not of natural origin, which are typically caused by lightning.
This conclusion is primarily based on the fact that most fires occur during August and September.
“The areas that burn the most—the Cerrado, the Amazon, and now, unfortunately, the Pantanal—experience fires mainly during the dry season, when electrical discharges from storms are unlikely,” says Ane Alencar.
Trends
The MapBiomas researcher notes that since the early 2000s, incentives for improved environmental management have helped to control fires. “Deforestation has decreased, and so has the area burned,” she explains.
However, according to her, as of 2019, “there has been a significant increase in both deforestation and the area burned.”
She adds that in 2023, the increase in fires persisted due to climate change, which led to severe droughts. These conditions contributed to the land becoming more susceptible to the spread of fires.
“What happened in 2023, especially in the Amazon, is that in regions where deforestation decreased, there was also a reduction in fires overall, including burn-offs and wildfires,” she notes.
Source: Agência Brasil