Brazil reports 1M wildfires over last 5 years
Data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), which monitors satellite information on vegetation cover, deforestation, and fires, reveal that Brazil experienced 1 million wildfires between 2020 and 2024. The year with the highest number of incidents was 2024, which, according to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, was driven by an exceptional drought—the worst in 74 years. A higher number of fires does not necessarily equate to a larger area burned.
Most of the hotspots are concentrated in five states within the Legal Amazon region. Over five years, there were 628,365 fire outbreaks, with the highest numbers in Pará (200,685), Mato Grosso (171,534), Amazonas (97,885), Maranhão (97,124), and Tocantins (61,137). These hotspots align with areas of agricultural expansion, primarily for soy and pasture, as well as regions affected by land grabbing and mining. All five states saw an increase in fire outbreaks between 2023 and 2024, with Mato Grosso leading the rise at 130 percent, followed by Tocantins with a 78 percent increase.
What's new in 2024 is the rise in fires in areas without a Rural Environmental Registry (CAR), meaning regions not officially registered as rural properties. Between 2020 and 2023, these areas accounted for 20 percent of the total fires in the five states with the highest registration rates during the critical months of August and September. In 2024, however, this percentage surged to 29.2 percent. Additionally, the share of large properties involved in wildfires increased from an average of 35 to 40 percent.
National policy
The surge in fires has prompted an accelerated government response. At the federal level, the National Policy for Integrated Fire Management was finalized and will take effect in 2025. According to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, the policy coordinates efforts across federal, state, and municipal levels, as well as with civil society and private organizations, ensuring faster responses to fires. It was developed during the crisis in July 2024, following severe drought impacts in the Pantanal region.
The Ministry announced that BRL 280 million from the Amazon Fund will be allocated to fight fires in the states, along with approximately BRL 650 million from the federal budget. The goal is to prevent another “worst year,” because since 2010 there have been no records of as many hotspots as in 2024.
In São Paulo, the response focuses on managing conservation areas and fire outbreaks. The state experienced the largest increase in wildfires (422%, with 8,712 fires recorded in 2024). However, the area burned in conservation areas increased by less than 2 percent, with fires largely concentrated on rural properties, particularly sugarcane plantations.
Rodrigo Levkovicz, executive director of the Forest Foundation, oversees conservation areas in São Paulo state. He is involved in all stages of fire prevention and response, including field operations, and supports the Ministry's explanation that fires have increased due to harsher weather conditions compared to recent years. Having attended the latest United Nations Climate Change Conference, he anticipates more severe effects, underscoring the need for better planning.
"There’s no point in having a good response this year and assuming it will be the same in 2030. We need to plan year by year, improving [the quality and speed of] our responses, and coordinating actions with municipalities, the federal government, and civil organizations," he said.
The government of Maranhão stated in a release that it has finalized the Action Plan for 2024-2027, while also “strengthening the monitoring of degraded areas, intensifying environmental inspections, and launching investigations into violations.”
It also emphasized the Floresta Viva-MA Program, which focuses on forest preservation, restoring degraded areas, and enhancing ecosystem services. With six main pillars, the program encourages sustainable practices among rural producers, traditional communities, and other strategic populations, fostering conservation for both current and future generations. Since 2020, the state has recorded 97,000 outbreaks, with no significant increase since 2022, when the total reached 20,000.
In a statement, the Mato Grosso government also reported imposing BRL 205.6 million in fines for the illegal use of fire. “During this period, more than 20 individuals were arrested, and 112 were charged by the Civil Police for causing fires.” According to the note, the state faced “the worst drought in 44 years,” which led to the accumulation of dry organic material, making combustion more likely. Mato Grosso recorded over 170,000 fires during this period, with 50,000 occurring in 2024 alone.
