Brazilian Amazon records lowest burned area in 41 years

The Brazilian Amazon experienced its lowest area of forest fires in 41 years in 2025, with 3.1 million hectares devastated by flames. This marks a dramatic 80.3% reduction compared to 2024, when fires consumed a staggering 15.8 million hectares.

Despite this significant improvement, the report by the MapBiomas network warns that the Amazon, along with the Cerrado biome, still accounts for the majority of burned areas in Brazil. A concerning trend is the frequency of recurring fires in the Amazon, where 31.6% of previously burned areas ignite again within two years. This short recovery interval weakens the forest's ability to regenerate, making it more fragile and susceptible to intense fires.

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In the Amazon, where the vegetation is not adapted to fire, such short intervals between events reduce the recovery time of the forest and increase the risk of increasingly intense and degrading fires.

Overall, Brazil registered 12.7 million hectares of vegetation burned in 2025, less than half of the previous year and 31% below the historical annual average. This decline interrupts a sequence of expanding fires in recent years. Researchers noted that years following an El Niño event, which prolongs dry seasons, typically see a higher incidence of fires.

The study also revealed that while 71.5% of Brazil's burned area between 1985 and 2025 was native vegetation, the Amazon primarily saw fires in areas transformed by human activity, especially pastures. MapBiomas Fuego coordinator Ane Alencar emphasized the importance of controlling fire use in these anthropogenic areas through government initiatives and responsible practices by rural producers.

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through governmental initiatives, but also through the conscious use of fire by rural producers themselves.