From January to August 2024, wildfires in Brazil have already affected 11.39 million hectares of the country’s territory, according to data from the Fire Monitor Mapbiomas, released on Thursday (12). Of this total, 5.65 million hectares were consumed by fire just in August, which accounts for 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 reached by fire. These three states encompass part of the Amazon Rainforest, the biome most affected up to August 2024. The fire consumed 5.4 million hectares of the Amazon in these eight months.
Just last Tuesday (10), Brazil recorded 5,132 fire hotspots, representing 75.9% of all areas affected by fires in South America on that day, according to the Fire Program of the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe).
But the major urban centers are also suffering from wildfires this year. Since the beginning of 2024, the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) has detected 760 hotspots 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. This figure may still be surpassed, as September and October are months with a historically high average of wildfires.
The Reason
Experts have pointed out that ecosystems become more vulnerable to fires during dry periods, such as the one Brazil is currently facing. This scenario may be influenced by various factors, including human-driven global warming and the effects of the El Niño climate phenomenon, followed by La Niña.
However, despite the dry climate making forest areas more susceptible to wildfires, their origin is often criminal. Investigations are already underway in various locations across the country that are uncovering evidence supporting this possibility. Arrests have already been made in recent days, for example, in the states of São Paulo and Goiás.
Consequences
The excess of wildfires in Brazil has resulted in a decline in air quality in several regions, raising concerns about the health of populations. 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 atmosphere is filled with harmful particles that increase the risks of respiratory problems, especially in children, the elderly, and people with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases.
Source: Agência Brasil