South America is engulfed in a record-breaking wave of wildfires, casting a dark shadow over the continent. The flames have led to a toxic cloud of smoke stretching across 4 million square miles—an area larger than the entire United States—bringing with it “black rain,” green rivers, and hazardous air pollution levels almost 50 times higher than what the World Health Organization recommends.
Between January 1st and September 16th, South America saw a staggering 364,485 forest fires, surpassing the previous record of 345,322 set in 2007, according to data from the Brazilian Space Research Institute and Reuters. The fires have been fueled by a historic drought in the Amazon, which has created favorable conditions for their rapid spread. While human activity is largely to blame for starting many of these fires, the drought has significantly exacerbated the situation. As a result, 60% of Brazil’s territory is currently blanketed in smoke.
The impact of these fires is far-reaching. In cities across southern Brazil, northern Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and northeastern Uruguay, air quality has plummeted, with a significant increase in black carbon, particulate matter, and gases like ozone, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide, according to Natalia Gil, an atmospheric science expert at the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay.
In Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, residents experienced days of poor visibility due to the dense smoke cloud. Black rain—precipitation that turns dark due to the mixture of ash and soot—was recorded in multiple parts of the country, including 11 Argentine provinces, including the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires.
Meanwhile, in São Paulo, Brazil, the Pinheiros River turned an eerie emerald green due to an algae bloom triggered by the severe drought. Paulo Saldiva, a pathologist and professor at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine, compared the smoke produced by burning biomass to cigarette smoke, highlighting the toxic substances that enter the body through the eyes, respiratory tract, and lungs.
“The air quality in Brazil has never been worse,” Alessandra Fidelis, a researcher at the Plant Ecology Laboratory of the State University of São Paulo, told Live Science. She explains that while Brazil has always experienced dry seasons, the average number of consecutive rainless days has increased from 80 to 100 in the last decade, indicating a worsening of climate-related impacts.
“The forest is more susceptible to burning, even with the reduction in deforestation rates. It has become more flammable,” Fidelis said.
Luis López-Mársico, a researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences at the University of the Republic of Uruguay, points out that rising temperatures, soil moisture, and carbon dioxide levels can also influence the timing, extent, duration, frequency, and intensity of fires.
The combination of these factors has created a “new normal” in Brazil, characterized by higher temperatures, reduced rainfall, and an increase in extreme drought events. These events prolong the “fire season,” creating a vicious cycle of destruction.
“We need to start recognizing that we are dealing with a new factor we once thought of as a future scenario, but which is now our reality: climate change,” Fidelis said. The fires in South America serve as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of climate change, highlighting the urgent need for global action to mitigate its impact.
