Brazil experienced its most devastating wildfire year in 2024 with over 30.87 million hectares of land scorched an area equivalent to the size of Italy. The MapBiomas Fire Annual Report revealed that a dangerous mix of prolonged drought, high temperatures, flammable vegetation, and human-induced fire use created the perfect storm for widespread blazes across all six of Brazil’s major biomes.
Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, suffered the worst damage, with 62% of its area burned at least once since 2019. Fires consumed 93% of native vegetation, and the area burnt in 2024 rose 157% above historical averages. Recurrent droughts around the Paraguay River including one that began after the last major flood in 2018, worsened the situation.
Overall, 2024 saw a 287% increase in fires in forest formations nationwide, shifting the pattern from traditional savanna fires to more destructive forest burns. The Amazon biome registered its highest burnt area in four decades 15.6 million hectares, a staggering 117% rise above average with forest vegetation (6.7 million ha) surpassing pastures as the most affected land cover for the first time.
The Atlantic Forest biome also broke records with 1.2 million hectares burned a 261% increase over the long-term average. The region, not naturally adapted to fire, suffered major ecosystem degradation, impacting water, climate regulation, and human health.
The Cerrado, Brazil’s savanna-like biome saw 10.6 million hectares burned a 10% rise over its average. Though fire is part of its natural cycle, recent trends show a sharp rise in dry-season wildfires driven by land conversion, agricultural expansion and climate change.
Nationwide, 64% of burnt areas since 1985 have been affected by fire more than once, and a quarter of Brazil’s landmass has been burned at least once in the past 40 years. Worryingly, nearly 29% of 2024’s fires were mega-events, each covering over 100,000 hectares.
The report attributes the worsening crisis to both climate change-induced droughts and intensified human activities. With August to October accounting for 72% of fire incidents, urgent, targeted planning is needed during these months.
Experts behind the report emphasize that these findings must drive stronger territorial fire management, ecosystem protection, and climate-resilient land-use policies. The shift toward larger, more destructive fires, especially in once fire-resistant biomes like the Amazon and Atlantic Forest, signals a critical tipping point for Brazil’s ecosystems and underscores the urgency for coordinated climate and conservation action.