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The Map Biomas initiative report said 22.38 million hectares (55.3 million acres) caught fire in the first nine months of 2024, an increase of 150% compared to the same period in 2023. The area is equivalent to 2.6% of Brazil's total land area.
Over half (51%, or 11.3 million hectares) of the area burned in the first nine months of this year is in the Amazon. The data is from the most recent Map Biomas Fire Monitor survey, released on 11 October 2024.
"The dry season in the Amazon, which usually runs from June to October, has been particularly severe this year, further aggravating the fire crisis in the region - a reflection of the intensification of climate change, which plays a crucial role in the spread of fires. This is reflected in the figures for September, where half of the area burned in the region was in forest formations," says Ane Alencar, IPAM's Science Director and coordinator of Map Biomas Fogo.
September has been the peak of this year's fires in Brazil. The area burned jumped to 90% from August's 5.65 million hectares to 10.65 million hectares in September this year. Compared with September 2023, this year is 181% greater or 6.8 million additional hectares burned.
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