From January to August 2024, wildfires in Brazil affected 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 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 impacted 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.
On Tuesday (10) alone, Brazil recorded 5,132 fire hotspots, representing 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 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. It is a record that could still be surpassed, as September and October are months with a historically high average of wildfires.The Reason
Experts point out that ecosystems become more vulnerable to fires during dry periods, such as the one Brazil is currently experiencing. This scenario can be influenced by different factors, such as human-driven global warming and the effects of the El Niño climate phenomenon, followed by La Niña.
However, although the dry climate makes forest areas more susceptible to fires, the origin of these fires is often criminal. Investigations in various parts of the country have found evidence supporting this possibility. Arrests have already been made in recent days, for example, in the states of São Paulo and Goiás.Consequences
Excessive burning in Brazil has resulted in a decline in air quality in several regions, raising concerns about public health. In recent days, images showing smoke-covered landscapes in some capitals, such as Brasília, São Paulo, and Belo Horizonte, have gone viral on social media.
With high temperatures and poor-quality dry air, the air is filled with harmful particles that increase the risk of respiratory problems, especially in children, the elderly, and people with respiratory or heart diseases.Source: Agência Brasil