Number of fires breaks record in Brazil in the first four months of 2024 | National Newspaper

Brazil had a record number of fires in the first 4 months of the year

The fire is spreading across several regions, mainly in the North and Central-West. In the first four months of the year, there were 17,182 recorded fires by satellites across the country, 81% more than in the same period last year (9,473).

It is the highest number of fires in Brazil since the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) began monitoring in 1999. The previous record was in 2023.

The states with the most records were Roraima, where fires more than tripled from one year to the next (4,609, in 2024, and 1,203, in 2023) and Mato Grosso, which had twice as many fires at the beginning of the year (4,131, in 2024 , and 1,975, in 2023)

Researchers say that the influence of the El niño phenomenon, which warms the waters of the Pacific and reduces the amount of rain on the continent, is one of the explanations for the increase in the number of fires.

But this record is also directly related to deforestation.

“As deforestation intensifies, we also have an intensification of fire. Deforestation in the cerrado also occurs in a similar way to the deforestation that occurs in the Amazon, which is cutting and subsequent burning”, analyzes the researcher of Fire Observation and Geoinformatics at Inpe, Luíz Aragão.

The Secretary of Environment of Mato Grosso said that the state has adopted measures to reinforce preventive actions to control, monitor and combat illegal fires.

“We have already issued more than four thousand hectares in infraction notices, there are more than 50 infraction notices related to the irregular use of fire in the three biomes of the state, in addition to seizing machinery that was being used for deforestation and also the irregular use of fire in these areas”, says Mato Grosso’s Secretary of the Environment, Mauren Lazzaretti.

The director of the Amazonas Environmental Protection Institute says that a set of actions is needed to reduce fires.

“Yes, increase supervision, continue to reduce deforestation and also make use of decrees such as a fire moratorium during periods when fire activities are greater”, warns researcher Ane Alencar.

The Ministry of the Environment stated that, this year, the fires in Roraima were caused by drought worsened by climatic factors. And that Ibama and ICMBio sent agents to fight.

According to the ministry, in Pará and Mato Grosso, part of the fires are related to deforestation and this year there was a drop of up to 45% in the area under alert. The ministry also said that it coordinates prevention actions with state governments.