Wildfires affected 30 million hectares in Brazil in 2024

In 2024, fires affected 30 million hectares of Brazil’s territory—the second-largest area burned in the past 40 years, and 62 percent above the average for the 1985–2024 period, according to the Annual Mapping of Land Cover and Use in Brazil (MapBiomas), a project developed since 1985 by a multi-institutional network that includes universities, NGOs, and technology companies.

The data were published on Tuesday (Jun. 24) in the first edition of the Annual Fire Report (RAF) and in Collection 4 of Brazil’s fire scar maps.

Last year, 72 percent of the area burned in Brazil was native vegetation. Forest cover was the hardest hit, with 7.7 million hectares consumed by fire, representing an increase of 287 percent compared to the average of the last four decades.

The Amazon

Studies show that the Amazon was the most hit biome in 2024, with 15.6 million hectares burned—the largest area harmed in the biome throughout the entire historical series. This corresponds to more than half (52%) of the total area consumed by fire in the whole country.

The region was not only the epicenter of burnt areas in the country, exceeding the average of the last 40 years by 117 percent, but also experienced a qualitative change in the type of vegetation altered.

For the first time, forest areas were the most impacted, accounting for 43 percent of the total burned area.

A total of 6.7 million hectares of forest and 5.2 million hectares of pasture were burned. According to the researchers, areas previously converted to pasture have historically been the most damaged, due to the common practice of using fire to clear land before planting pasture.

MapBiomas’ Amazon mapping coordinator, Felipe Martenexen, noted that the region was heavily affected by the El Niño phenomenon in 2023 and 2024, which left the biome drier and more susceptible to fire. However, since the occurrence of natural fires in native vegetation is very low, human action was necessary for the fires to start.

“We believe that inadequate pasture management plays a major role, as fire often escapes and causes forest fires,” explains Martenexen.

 The Amazon was the most hit biome in 2024, with 15.6 million hectares burned – Agência Santarém

Atlantic Forest

The Atlantic Forest also registered a record area burned in 2024, exceeding the historical average by 261 percent. The biome saw 1.2 million hectares exposed to fire and includes four of the ten municipalities with the highest proportion of burned area: Barrinha, Dumont, Pontal, and Pontes Gestal.

Human-modified areas were hit hardest by fire last year, but the burning of natural vegetation also rose compared to the last 20 years.

“When fires occur, they tend to have a significant impact on the scarce forest remnants within the biome,” says Natalia Crusco, from MapBiomas’ Atlantic Forest team.

Pantanal

In 2024, the area burned in the Pantanal increased by 157 percent, representing the highest proportional rise in fire occurrence among all biomes in the country, compared to the historical average.

It was the third year with the largest area burned, totaling 2.2 million hectares. Of this total, 93 percent damaged native vegetation, primarily grasslands, flooded fields, and marshes.

Researcher Eduardo Rosa, MapBiomas’ Pantanal mapping coordinator, explains that fire dynamics in the biome were driven by drought in the Paraguay River region, where natural vegetation is concentrated.

“Although parts of the Pantanal are more adapted to fire, the areas near rivers contain a very complex mosaic of native vegetation that is more vulnerable,” says Rosa.

In 2024, the area burned in the Pantanal increased by 157 percent, representing the highest proportional rise in fire occurrence among all biomes in the country – Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil

Cerrado, Caatinga, and Pampa

Last year, fires in the Cerrado accounted for 35 percent of the total area burned in Brazil. A total of 10.6 million hectares were hit—representing a 10 percet increase compared to the historical average of 9.6 million hectares per year.

In 2024, the area burned in the Caatinga decreased by 16 percent, with 404,000 hectares scarred by fire compared to an average of 480,000 hectares over the past 40 years.

In the Pampa, fire impacted a slightly larger area than in 2023, totaling 7,900 hectares—well below the historical average of 15,300 hectares per year. This represents a 48 percent reduction compared to the period analyzed.

Researchers state that the data offer the most comprehensive overview of fire activity across the country and reveal patterns in the occurrence of burn-offs and wildfires.

“The report enables us to support the planning of preventive measures and to direct firefighting efforts more effectively,” concludes Ane Alencar, Science Director at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) and coordinator of MapBiomas Fogo.