Brazil recorded more than 30.8 million hectares devastated by fire in 2024, with an increase of 79% compared to the previous period . Unpublished data from MapBiomas reveals that the Amazon forest was the most affected, concentrating more than half of the burned area in the country.
The Fire Monitor survey shows that three out of every four hectares burned in the country were native vegetation, mainly in forest formations, reaching 25% of the total burned area .
Pastures were also affected, with 6.7 million hectares consumed by fire. The Amazon leads the ranking of devastated areas, with 17.9 million hectares, surpassing the total burned across the country in 2023.
The region registered a worrying pattern, with the native forest being the most affected, surpassing pasture areas for the first time .
“The impacts of this devastation expose the urgency of coordinated actions and engagement at all levels to contain an environmental crisis exacerbated by extreme weather conditions, but triggered by human action as was the case last year”, says Ane Alencar, coordinator of MapBiomas Fogo.
The El Niño phenomenon, which left vegetation more vulnerable to fire, is one of those responsible for the growth of burned areas .
The Cerrado recorded 9.7 million hectares burned, with 85% of the area in native vegetation. The Pantanal also suffered from the flames, with 1.9 million hectares affected, an increase of 64% compared to the average of the last six years. The extreme drought, similar to that of 2020, left the Pantanal more vulnerable to fire.
In the Atlantic Forest, 1 million hectares were burned, with 70% of the affected area in agricultural areas. Even with the fire concentrated in anthropogenic areas, natural areas were also affected, causing environmental damage.
Pará was the state with the largest burned area, with 7.3 million hectares, followed by Mato Grosso and Tocantins. These three states account for more than half of the burned area in the country. The municipalities of São Félix do Xingu (PA) and Corumbá (MS) recorded the largest areas devastated by fire.
This content was originally published in Brazil records growth of almost 80% in burned areas, says study on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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