MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil's Fire Monitor detects 70% reduction in burned areas

Of the total burned areas, 78% were covered by native vegetation

Brazil reduced its burned areas by 70% yoy in the first quarter of 2025, with fires affecting 912,900 hectares, down from 2.1 million hectares. The reduction is largely attributed to the rainy season, although the Cerrado biome saw a 12% increase in burned areas, surpassing historical averages. The Amazon remained the most affected, accounting for 78% of the total burned area despite a 72% decrease compared to 2024, according to figures released Wednesday by the Fire Monitor, a MapBiomas tool that uses satellite imagery to track fire scars nationwide.

 States like Roraima, Pará, and Maranhão experienced the most significant fires, reflecting regional climatic challenges. Other biomes, including the Pantanal and Caatinga, also recorded notable declines in fire-affected areas. Of the total burned areas, 78% were covered by native vegetation, while 43% of the burned land consisted of grasslands.

“The rainy season has contributed to the decrease in fires. However, the Cerrado recorded the largest burned area in the first quarter compared to recent years, highlighting the need for tailored strategies to prevent and combat fires in each biome,” warns Vera Arruda, a researcher at MapBiomas Fogo.

Among Brazilian states, Roraima experienced the largest area burned in the first three months of the year, with 415,700 hectares affected. Pará ranked second, with 208,600 hectares burned, followed by Maranhão with 123,800 hectares. All three states are located within the Amazon biome.

According to Felipe Martenexen, a researcher at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), Roraima goes through its dry season at the beginning of the year, making it especially vulnerable to fires during this period. “The data from the first quarter of 2025 reflect this climatic seasonality, with Roraima emerging as the country’s main hotspot for fires,” he explained.

Among the biomes, the Cerrado recorded a 12% increase in burned area compared to the same period last year. A total of 91,700 hectares were affected.

The Atlantic Forest and the Pampa also saw a rise in fire-affected areas. Compared to 2024, the burned area grew by 7% in the Atlantic Forest and 1.4% in the Pampa. In total, 18,800 hectares were affected in the Atlantic Forest and 6,600 hectares in the Pampa.

Despite a 72% decrease in burned area compared to the first three months of 2024, the Amazon was still the hardest-hit biome in early 2025 in terms of size. A total of 774,000 hectares burned there, accounting for 78% of the national total.

The Pantanal and Caatinga biomes also saw a reduction in burned areas during the first three months of 2025. The Pantanal recorded 10,900 hectares affected by fire—a decrease of 86% compared to the same period in 2024—while the Caatinga had 10,000 hectares burned, representing an 8% decline.

In March of 2025, fires affected 106,600 hectares across the country, accounting for 10% of the total area burned. Compared to March 2024, this represents a reduction of 674,900 hectares—an 86% decrease.

Of the total area burned in March, the Amazon accounted for 55,100 hectares, followed by the Cerrado with 37,800 hectares. The Atlantic Forest saw 9,200 hectares affected, the Caatinga 2,200 hectares, the Pampa 1,500 hectares, and the Pantanal 561 hectares. (Source: Agencia Brasil)