The Amazon rainforest in Brazil has experienced a surge in fires during August, reaching the highest level since 2010. This alarming trend is attributed to a record drought plaguing the biome, exacerbated by the combined effects of climate change and human activity.
The delayed and unusually weak rainfall last year, intensified by the El Niño weather pattern, has left the rainforest particularly vulnerable to fires this year. Satellite data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) reveals that 38,266 fire hotspots were detected in the Amazon in August, more than double the number recorded in the same month last year. This figure represents the highest August total since 2010. Following a surge in fire hotspots last month, reaching a two-decade high, August’s data further underscores the severity of the situation.
While the data provides a rapid indication of the fire activity, it does not measure the intensity of the blazes. Unlike wildfires in Europe or the United States, fires in the humid Amazon rainforest are not a natural phenomenon. They are primarily ignited by farmers clearing land for agricultural purposes. This practice involves cutting down trees and setting them ablaze, which can sometimes result in uncontrolled fires. August and September mark the peak of the dry season in the Amazon, making it more challenging to manage these fires. The onset of the rainy season in October usually brings relief.
Fires in the Amazon often originate on cattle ranches, where local residents convert jungle land into pastures for livestock. Warmer temperatures and drier vegetation create conditions conducive to rapid fire spread, with flames burning more intensely and for longer durations. Deforestation has also impaired the rainforest’s ability to generate rain and humidity.
Helga Correa, a conservation specialist at WWF-Brasil, attributes the surge in fires to a combination of weather patterns, climate change, and human actions. She points out that the areas with concentrated smoke in August coincide with the ‘Arch of Deforestation,’ encompassing regions north of Rondônia, south of Amazonas, and southwest of Pará. Correa emphasizes that, in addition to climate change and El Niño, human-induced changes in land use play a crucial role in the escalating number of fires.
