24/09/2024
Amazon jungle burning ......worst since catasatrophe of 2005!
ever ........- “It’s not normal. I’ve lived here for 40 years. We didn’t have this before,” Barros said.......Silva, who lives farther up the Purus River in Labrea, also said she had never seen anything like this before...........“I think this is the worst place in the world. We are asking for help, because we can’t live like this anymore,” she said.
2024 Marks the Worst Year for Amazon Fires since 2005
The Brazilian Amazon registered a 104% increase in fire hotspots during the same eight-month period (January to August) compared to 2023, worsening an already critical situation. According to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE), there were over 65,000 fire hotspots by the end of August 2024—the highest number for this period since 2005. Of these fire hotspots, over 38,000 were recorded in August alone, an increase of 120% compared to the same month last year, which recorded 17,373 fire hotspots.
Data from MapBiomas reveal that over five million acres were burned in the Brazilian Amazon in August alone. This year, the total burned area amounts to 13.4 million acres—an area larger than entire countries like Costa Rica or Denmark.
Other areas of the Amazon also experienced a record number of fires in the first eight months of the year, including Bolivia. According to data from INPE, the country registered roughly 49,000 fire points from January through August, the most ever seen in that period. Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Guyana also saw a huge surge in fires during this time.
The Brazilian Amazon already experienced a significant increase in fires in 2023, with at least 26.4 million acres burned, marking a 35.4% rise from 2022. The majority of this destruction occurred in the final months of the year. The current data indicates a critical and escalating situation for Amazon fires in 2024, underscoring the urgent need for immediate and effective action to mitigate further damage.
The 2024 Amazon fires are devastating South America, with over five million acres burned in the Brazilian Amazon in August alone. So far this year, a total of 13.4 million acres—an area equivalent to Costa Rica and larger than Denmark or Belgium—has been consumed by fire.