In 2024, wildfires in Brazil devastated 30.8 million hectares of vegetation, marking a staggering 79 percent increase in burned land compared to the previous year.

Experts caution that without a strong rainy season, Brazil could face similar wildfire outbreaks in 2025, as the soil remains unreplenished.

Alencar emphasized that while Lula's administration has made strides in reducing deforestation, the broader focus on forest conservation must also address the impacts of climate change.

Experts warn that ongoing deforestation and wildfires could push the Amazon towards a tipping point, potentially transforming it from a carbon sink into a net carbon emitter.

As Brazil prepares to host the COP30 climate conference in Belém in November 2025, the alarming statistics surrounding wildfires present significant challenges for advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The rise in wildfires has been linked to severe drought conditions and human activities, particularly agricultural practices that utilize fire for land clearing.

The devastation caused by the wildfires underscores the urgent need for coordinated actions to tackle the environmental crises exacerbated by extreme weather and human actions.

The Amazon biome was particularly hard hit, suffering 58% of the fires, with the state of Pará accounting for 24% of the total burned area.

Ane Alencar from MapBiomas noted that for the first time, forest areas were the most affected, highlighting the long recovery time required for such ecosystems.

Despite a reported 30% reduction in deforestation rates in August 2024, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva admitted that Brazil was not fully prepared to combat the surge in wildfires, attributing the crisis to 'climate terrorism'.

In 2024, the Federal Police initiated 119 investigations into suspected arson, suggesting potential criminal involvement in the wildfires, which may have been set in response to federal anti-deforestation efforts.

The Cerrado biome also faced significant damage, with 9.7 million hectares burned in 2024, driven by intensified human activities during dry periods.