Fire Outbreaks in the Amazon Dropped by 16 Percent in September

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL -In September, 32,602 hotspots were recorded in the nine states that make up the Legal Amazon, an area comprising all northern region states, plus Mato Grosso and Maranhão. The number was 16 percent lower than in August, 39,177 hotspots. The data are from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

The trend towards a reduction in hotspots at the end of August has been anticipated by Agência Brasil.

According to the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) and the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), this is the period that witnessed the highest number of fires.

“Historically, 95 percent of the fires that occur throughout the country are concentrated in the second half of each year, mainly between August and October. The peak usually occurs in September,” says a note published last Thursday, October 3rd, by the MMA.

The ministry attributes the drop to the “presence of more than a thousand firefighters from the National Center for the Prevention and Combat of Forest Fires (PREVFOGO)”.

In addition to the fire brigades, the federal government deployed the Army to fight fires in the Amazon and released R$38 million for fire control actions. President Jair Bolsonaro signed a decree prohibiting fires in the region for 60 days.

In the note, MMA advises that “IBAMA will retain 1,550 firefighters hired at least until the end of October to ensure the reduction trend of fire outbreaks and guarantee the protection of priority federal areas, mainly indigenous lands and quilombolas”.

According to a report published by the Ministry of Defense, which coordinates Green Operation Brazil, 1,700 fires have been fought in the past 40 days, 73 people have been arrested and 237 notices of infraction have been issued, totaling R$55 (US$13) million in fines to be collected.

The operation began on August 24th. Since then, the military has confiscated more than 12,000 hectares, destroyed 18 illegal camps, seized 143 vehicles and more than 24,000 liters of fuel used for combustion and to supply equipment used in deforestation, such as excavators, chain saws and motor pumps.

The hotspots are monitored by INPE using a set of images provided by nearly a dozen geostationary satellites. The images serve the Real-Time Deforestation Detection System (DETER), which supports the inspection and control of deforestation and degradation in the Amazon.

The annual consolidation of data and corroboration that hotspots have resulted in deforestation only occurs through the Brazilian Amazon Satellite Forest Monitoring Program (PRODES).

In addition to these two systems, INPE relies on TerraClass, held every two years in partnership with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA). This system allows the identification of the use and coverage of areas identified as deforested by PRODES.

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