This is not a metaphor—Brazil is literally on fire. All 27 states have recorded wildfires in the last 48 hours, with over 145,000 fire incidents reported so far this year. That’s a staggering 105% increase compared to last year, and the highest number of fires since 2010. In the Amazon, the fire count is the highest since 2005, outpacing even the 2010 megadrought. The Cerrado is seeing the worst fires since 2012, and in the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, 2024 is nearly tied with 2020 for the all-time wildfire record.
Entire cities are shrouded in smoke. While the situation is most severe in the north, in cities like Porto Velho and Manaus, even São Paulo, Rio, and Brasília are experiencing choking fumes—carried by the same "flying rivers" that once transported life-sustaining moisture but now bring devastation.
The Amazon is enduring its second consecutive megadrought, and it’s alarming how often we’re now using the words "megadrought" and "rainforest" in the same breath.
Brazil must put those fires out! Stop digging for more oil and start acting. President Lula speaks about climate action, but his government is not acting fast enough! In many ways, they are helping the oil industry instead of protecting the climate. Nearly all these fires are human-caused, often criminal, but they wouldn’t have spread so rapidly if Brazil weren’t facing its worst drought since records began in 1950. Some cities haven’t seen rain in over 150 days. This crisis is exactly the kind of scenario climate models predicted decades ago in IPCC reports.
•
•
3 w
The alarming rise in fire incidents, combined with severe drought, highlights the devastating impact of human activities and climate change. Immediate interventions and sustainable policies are crucial. Brazil needs to wake up
•
•
•
3 w
That's sad and alarming.
•
•
3 w
😔
•
•
3 w
This is terrible
•
•
3 w
Many of these fires are intentionally set to clear land for agriculture, cattle ranching, and illegal logging.