Brazil has been hit by devastating fires over the past 40 years, leaving a deep ecological footprint. New analysis by Brazilian organization MapBiomass reveals that since 1985 to 2024 was affected by the fire 206 million hectares of land – which corresponds to almost a quarter of the entire country's areaFor a better idea: this is an area larger than combined area of the states of Pará and Mato Grosso, the two largest and most ecologically valuable states of Brazil.

📈 Year 2024: Historical maximum

The year 2024 brought record high number of firesMore than were burned. 30 million hectares, which is about 62 % more than the long-term average (18.5 million ha per year). Up to 15.6 million hectares belonged to Amazon rainforest, which represents more than half of all affected areasIt is about the highest annual value in the history of monitoring.

The largest concentration of fires occurred between August and October, with only September being affected 33 % total area per year.

🌱 Which areas are burning the most?

The fires in Brazil are not only affecting the Amazon, but also other important ecosystems:

• Amazonia a Cerrado (savannahs) together made up 86 % of all burned areas since 1985.
• IN Pantanal – the world's largest wetlands – were burned to 62 % total area.
• Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) recorded in 2024 increase in fires by 261 % compared to the average.
• The least affected areas were Caatinga (semi-deserts) and Pampas, but with a high frequency of repeated burning.

🔁 Multiple affected areas

Until 64 % territory, which have been burning for the past 40 years, were affected by the fire repeatedlyThe worst situation is in Cerradewhere some areas are burning more than 16 times.

🌍 Causes: Human activity and climatic factors

Although some fires occur naturally, most originate from human activityThe main causes include:

• Deforestation and fire setting to clear land for agriculture and livestock.
• Expansion of pastures and soybean plantations in areas such as Pará, Mato Grosso and Maranhão.
• Climate fluctuations, such as El Niño phenomenon, which causes extreme drought and creates conditions for the rapid spread of fire.

What is particularly alarming is that in the Amazon in 2024 there were For the first time, fires are more common in natural forests than in pasturesThis signals that the fire is spreading. deep into preserved ecosystems, and not just to marginally deforested areas.

🚨 Ecological and climate consequences

Fires have dramatic impact on the environment:

• Biodiversity loss – the homes of thousands of plant and animal species are disappearing.
• Releasing huge amounts of CO₂ – forest fires contribute to global warming.
• Soil and water regime degradation – fires reduce the soil's ability to retain water and sequester carbon.
• Threat to indigenous communitieswhich are dependent on natural resources.

🔍 Solutions and challenges

Fighting fires requires comprehensive approachExperts recommend:

1. Reduce deforestation – the most effective way to prevent fires.
2. Better monitoring – satellite systems such as MapBiomas allow rapid identification of outbreaks.
3. Prohibition of burning vegetation – stricter legislation and its consistent application.
4. Support of sustainable agriculture – alternatives to burning the land.
5. Protection of indigenous territories – these areas often have lower fire rates due to traditional landscape management.

The fires destroyed a quarter of Brazil's territory in less than half a century. The year 2024 shows that the situation is worsening – despite progress in monitoring and control. The Amazon, Cerrado and Pantanal are burning more often and deeper than ever before.

This alarming trend requires immediate action to saving the world's largest ecosystems, which are crucial not only for Brazil, but for global climateWithout active protection, the coming decades threaten to bring an even greater ecological disaster – with global consequences. Spring